Zen Vision
by Ultrawoman
Summary: Putting Season 8 right for the JH fans! A series of one-shots turning each and every episode of the horrendous Season 8 into a happy Jackie and Hyde love affair!
1. Ep 1, Bohemian Rhapsody

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A/N: Okay, so all fans of the J/H ship know that Season 8 was a joke, a very nasty joke on all of us. So, what to do about it? I'm pretty sure that for every episode of this sucky season, there is a way to get a happy J/H ending out of it. My plan - to prove my point, by turning each and every episode of Season 8 into a one-shot J/H story, and here's episode one...

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Disclaimer: All recognisable characters from 'That 70's Show' do not belong to me in any way at all.

Ep1 : Bohemian Rhapsody

"So anyway, Forman" Steven Hyde said into the microphone Kitty held, "Ramble on, keep on keeping on, and most of all, my friend, rock on" he told his friend, sticking to his usual vague words that wouldn't mean much to anyone else.

Somehow he knew that Eric would understand his true meaning. He was missing him already, he loved him like a brother, and he wanted him to keep himself safe. All that sort of thing went unspoken between guys, and yet they knew they meant it. Sometimes Hyde wished it was so simple to communicate with women, this he was thinking as Mrs Forman rambled something about being cool or whatever, before excusing herself as Jackie walked in.

Here was the girl in question, Hyde realised, the one woman he was sure he would never truly understand, and who he would never be able to properly explain himself to. She thought he either didn't want to share his thoughts and feelings, or just didn't care. The truth of it was he just didn't know how to explain, how to talk about things. In his family, amongst his friends, it was all awkward silences or fighting. He understood cheating and lashing out and all those bad things. Love and commitment were scary and unreal to him, non-existant in his life up to now.

"Steven, I am so sorry about what happened in Chicago" Jackie told him as she took a seat behind him on the couch, and Mrs Forman did a less than stellar job of hiding in the den, "I was alone and I thought I lost you..." the brunette shook her head sadly, feeling wretched about almost sleeping with Michael.

Still, what she said was true, she had felt as if she'd lost Steven forever. She was lonely and vulnerable, Michael was being so sweet, and the idea of sleeping with him that night in Chicago wasn't completely awful. If she'd thought there was even a chance for her and Hyde she wouldn't even have gone away that night, but her boyfriend had given her not even the slightest inkling of an idea that he wanted to be with her anymore.

"Yeah" Steven nodded, "Well, I can see why you thought that" he admitted, knowing he ought to have been more forthcoming when she gave him that ultimatum, but also knowing why he hadn't been.

It angered him that she would force him into a decision that she ought to have know would be difficult for him. At the same time, he was overwhelmed by the feelings he had for her, and had no time to figure out what to do with them before she was gone. Before Jackie, he'd had one night stands and casual girlfriends. She was the first serious relationship of his life, the first one he could honestly say he loved and mean it. That was one thing that hadn't changed, even when he'd caught her with Kelso. That, he presumed, was why it hurt so damn much.

"Look, why didn't you tell me sooner you wanted to get married?" Jackie asked him curiously, apparently completely baffled by his behaviour.

"Because I wasn't sure I wanted to" he told her honestly, knowing a large part of his reason for not being ready was pure fear that he would never admit to, "Now that I've thought about it, Jackie, I'm right" he explained, "I'm not ready to be married yet" he said, caught half-way between anticipating and hating the response he knew would come as she picked up on the one part of his sentence that would be her focus.

"Yet?" Jackie grinned, realising what Steven had implied, but trying to play down her joy when he glared a little, "Oh, okay" she said, trying to force her smile down a couple of notches.

It was a step forward, however small. Before, Steven had been so anti-marriage it was untrue, now at least he was talking like one day would be their time, just not yet.

"Well there you have it, Eric" Kitty muttered into the microphone from her spot badly hidden in the den, "Steven's not ready to get married yet" she explained, though neither of the young people on the couch were paying any attention to her at all.

"Look, Jackie" Hyde began, hoping he could put this into words without either upsetting her or making himself look like a complete ass, "I never saw myself as the marrying kind, but then, I guess I never expected to end up with a girl like you either" he told her, and her expression showed she wasn't sure how to take that, "C'mon, man, you know what I'm saying. We're not exactly alike, and we fight so much"

"Steven, all couples fight" Jackie told him, sounding worldly-wise beyond her years as she went on, "And we'll fight again, and we'll make mistakes, and it won't always be perfect, but I don't care" she promised him, getting a hold of his hand with her own, "So long as I have you, so long as we have each other and love each other, that's all that matters"

It sounded good, even Hyde had to admit that to himself. A perfectly happy life spent with this woman who alternated between making him feel more complete than he ever had, and frustrated him to the point of a mental breakdown! She'd started out as everything he hated, and yet over the years had become everything he wanted. She was right, of course, it wasn't always going to be a bed of roses, but somewhere down the line, they might just make it. They stood as much chance as anybody else, he guessed. Unfortunately, Steven was always haunted by memories of his own family life and hers too. Their parents hadn't been faithful, his birth-father left before he was born, Bud walked out when he was nine, and neither his mother or Jackie's own had been able to stick to one man for any length of time.

"Just promise me that when we get older, we won't turn out like our parents" he said, with a half-smile that Jackie returned, so glad they got this whole thing figured out.

She was prevented from actually answering him though, as the doorbell rang, and Kitty ran from her less-than-great hiding place to answer it.

"Hi I'm looking for...Hyde!" exclaimed the tall blonde woman beyond the door as she spotted him in the living room and ran to him.

"Who the hell is this?" Jackie asked, less than thrilled by the interruption and the sight on a skanky blonde that apparently knew her boyfriend a little too well.

"This is Sam" Hyde told her, feeling a little shocked at the sight of her, "She's a str... an exotic dancer" he amended, "I met her in Vegas" he explained as he stared at the woman he'd never expected to see again after he left that town, "I'm sorry, what are you doing here, man?" he asked the blonde then, as Jackie and Kitty both waited for that same answer, all practically holding their breath.

"Well, I was headed this way to visit some friends, and I thought you might need this" Sam grinned like the air-head Jackie suspected she was as she handed over Hyde's wallet, "You left it at the hotel, silly" she told him.

"Hey, thanks" Hyde said gratefully, a little stunned that some stripper he'd met would bother to be so honest.

"Well, isn't that nice" Kitty smiled, letting out a burst of her trademark laughter, before hurrying off, microphone in hand, telling Eric how there was a stripper standing in her living room!

"It was no problem" Sam shrugged, her eyes moving to Jackie and an extra wide grin threatening to split her face in two, "Oh my God, you look just like your picture!" she enthused.

"What picture?" the brunette frowned, eyes dodging from Sam to Steven and back.

"The one in Hyde's wallet" the blonde said to rhyme with 'duh', "He must've shown me that photograph like a hundred times, pretty much every time he mentioned you, and that was a lot" she said with a wild gesture of her arm, "I think its beautiful how much in love you two are, I'm just so glad Hyde finally came home and worked things out with you"

Jackie was uncharacteristically speechless as she stared at her boyfriend. She barely heard a word as Sam apologised for running off so fast, but needing to get moving if she wanted to catch the connecting bus.

Left alone again, the young couple stood and faced each other, both a little stunned by the odd turn of events.

"You talked about me" Jackie smiled dopily, "A lot"

"What can I say, doll?" Hyde shrugged a shoulder, as he stepped forward and put an arm around her, "I love you" he told her softly and seriously, words seldom spoken and yet obviously meant even when unsaid.

"And I love you, Steven" she responded in kind, happy to go into his arms, "Always" she swore as they shared a kiss, unaware that Mrs Forman was still watching, still listening, and still recording everything!

- The End -


	2. Ep 2, Somebody to Love

**A/N: Wow, love that you guys are so into this idea. Thanx for all the fab reviews. Now, here we go with episode two... Please remember this is NOT connected to the first story, they are al seperate one-shots, so assume as you start to real this fic that Episode 8.1 happened as it did on the show, as did Episode 8.2 up to this point...**

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**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**

Ep 2 : Somebody to Love

"Nobody ignores Jerky Backhart! I am adorable! I am engaging and I'm damn likeable" Jackie Burkhart yelled to the bar full of patrons, a little worse for wear for the booze, and thoroughly pissed off at the world right now, "And if you're too stupid to see that, then I feel sorry for you!" she continued, unaware her dress had slipped from her shoulder during her rant, exposing her to public view, "'Cause if anyone should be the centre of attention here, it's me!" she told anyone who would listen, and by now most people were paying attention, if only to stare at the free show.

"Jackie!" Donna caught her attention, rushing over to cover her friends modesty, but Jackie would have none of it.

"Get off me!" she protested, until Donna whispered in her ear what the problem was "What the hell is a 'boobs out'?" she asked, looking annoyed and then simultaneously mortified as she glanced down and spotted what was wrong.

With a scream loud enough to wake the dead, Jackie turned to bolt from the room, ploughing straight into a young man coming the other way.

"Jackie?! What the hell, man?!" Hyde looked startled by the sight of her, half-dressed and red-faced as she was.

"Move!" she urged him, forcibly shoving her ex away and crashing through the nearby door into the ladies room.

"Hyde? What are you doing here?" Donna asked when she spotted him.

"I came to talk to Jackie" he explained to both the blonde and Fez who also wanted to know what was happening, "Is she wasted?"

"Oh, yeah" Donna agreed with a definite not.

"Yes, and feeling free and easy" Fez added with the look of an excited child at Christmas, "She already got one boob out. I can't wait to see what happens next"

The foreign boy's smile vanished as Hyde knocked him upside his head, looking quite angry. He didn't want anybody leering over Jackie that way, especially when she was vulnerable. Hyde knew the person he was most mad at wasn't Fez for being a little pervert or Jackie for getting drunk, but himself for causing this whole thing. With a sigh he turned away from his friends and went to the door behind which Jackie had disappeared.

"Hey, Jackie, will you come out of there, please?" he urged her, tapping on the wood, as Donna pulled Fez away from the scene.

It was a good thing that Hyde had showed up here as far as the blonde could tell. Despite all the two of them had done to each other, even his marrying a stripper in Vegas, Donna remained convinced that the odd couple were in fact perfect for each other, if they could just work out their differences.

"Go away, Steven!" Jackie yelled in her usual shrill tone, "I don't want to talk to you" she told him angrily, "As if everything isn't humiliating enough already""

"C'mon, Jackie" he tried again, "I really need to talk to you" he told her, knowing it was now or never, as he was likely to lose his nerve with this whole thing.

He didn't do speeches, sweeping declarations of devotion, and the such like. He was a simple guy with his own ideas about the world and the way things ought to be. He wasn't emotionally built for all this crap, and yet where Jackie was concerned he'd do it, because he had to be with her. She drove him crazy at times, but he was sure he did the same to her. They were opposite as anyone could be and yet they made a perfect match somehow.

"Fine" he said angrily off the back of her silence, "Have it your way" he said as he barged through the door, making her visibly jump; most likely because she'd expected his words had meant he was leaving, not walking in on her.

"Steven!" Jackie yelped from her place by the sink, "This is the ladies room!" she pointed out, as he checked they were alone in there and proceeded to drive a wedge under the door to keep anyone else from entering.

"Whatever" he shrugged off her concerns, "You and me need to get a few things figured out, Jackie, and were not leaving here til we do" he said, clearly determined, and Jackie dabbed a little more cold water on her face and was glad to feel a little less wobbly now; Steven's attitude was helping to sober her up, if her embarrassing moment before had not done enough.

"There's nothing left to straighten out, Steven" she told him tiredly, as they face each other then, "You sealed our fate when you married your whorey stripper wife" she said, her tone bitter and angry as she crossed her arms over herself, ever-mindful of her dress that had decided not to behave this evening.

"Hey, Sam's not a whore" Hyde jumped in quickly, perhaps because he believed it, or maybe just because it was a point he could argue, "not like that's even the point" he added, when he realised starting an argument was not what he was here to do, he was just so used to doing that it came naturally sometimes.

"There is no point to any of this, Steven" Jackie told him again "and y'know I may have embarrassed myself out there but I meant what I said. I'm worth more than all of you stupid men realise" she said, pointing an angry finger at him, "I deserve better!" she shouted right in his face, but Hyde didn't even flinch.

He'd gotten so used to her rants and tantrums, justified or otherwise, that they really had no effect on him anymore.

"Are you done now?" he asked calmly, "You want to actually listen to what I have to say?"

Jackie didn't answer for a moment, just returned his intense stare and internally fought with herself, wondering if she did want his explanation or not. It would be nice to let him talk his way out of everything, to let their relationship get back on track so they could both be happy again. On the other hand, Jackie couldn't bear to be taken for a ride, not again. It was just too painful when she fell from a great height and nobody was there to catch her.

"No" she said eventually, "No, I don't" she declared, a little afraid of his convincing her to change her mind somehow, and so rushing to the nearest stall and locking herself inside before he had a chance to stop her.

"Tough luck, doll" Hyde smiled slightly at her nerve, but was undeterred by her running and hiding from him, "because you're gonna hear it anyway" he told her, moving to lean right by the locked door she was hidden behind, and taking a deep breath as he started to explain what he'd come here to say in the first place, "Y'know I was in the basement, just hanging out, and I'm watching Sam unpack her stuff" he told her, recalling the scene in his head, "Man, there's thongs and stuff everywhere and she's bending over a lot..." he said, unable to help that his mind wandered just a little, after all, no matter how much he cared for Jackie, he was still a young horny guy and Sam was still hot as hell, "The point is Jackie, I should've loved it" he told the uncharacteristically quiet brunette, "I should've been as crazy as Kelso was about it, 'cause I'm living the dream, man, I married a stripper" he explained, hoping she understood.

For a moment, Hyde really believed she did get it, as the door opened and Jackie stepped out. Her angry look told him he was wrong, as she glared at him.

"Fine, go live your stupid dream!" she told him, striding past towards the outer door, "and leave me alone!"

"That's just it, man" he said quickly striding after her and grabbing her arm, turning her back to face him, "it's not my dream, Jackie, not now" he told her, "See, Sam stood there and asked what I really wanted from her, and I looked at her and there was only one thing I could say..." he told Jackie as she looked at the floor, really not wanting to hear any of this, "I want a divorce"

"What?" Jackie squeaked, her eyes shooting up to meet his.

"I asked Sam for a divorce, Jackie" Steven repeated, a little surprised she didn't know him well enough yet to realise he would've done, "I don't want to be married to her, hell, I told you before, right now I don't want to be married to anyone, not yet" he repeated the words he'd said just moments before his new wife had come bursting through the door.

It was true enough. The whole debacle with Jackie and Kelso and all had shown Steven Hyde he was right not to jump into marriage, even if he did love Jackie Burkhart more than he never knew he could ever love anyone. He wasn't ready for that commitment yet, for all that it meant for the both of them, and he certainly never meant to marry some stripper in Vegas!

"But you did marry her, Steven" Jackie said sadly, her moments joy gone just as fast as it came when she realised that, no matter how much Hyde wished he hadn't married Sam, he'd still gone and done it, "You're not ready yet to make me your wife, but you said 'I do' to Miss One Dollar Bill '79" she said bitterly, hating that he could hurt her that way, taking the one thing she most wanted in the world, tearing it away and handing it to some undeserving whore in a moment.

"It was a mistake, man!" Hyde said desperately, not no much angry as frustrated that there was no easy fix to what he'd done, "It was a stupid drunken mistake that I barely even remember" he promised her, "And hey, when I came in here tonight, _you'd_ made a pretty big fool out of _yourself_ because you were drunk" he pointed out though he knew before she said it herself that it was far from the same thing.

"That's different, Steven. I didn't marry anyone" she pointed out, as if it weren't already obvious, and turned her back on him once again because it just hurt too much to face him.

She so wanted to forgive him, wished there was an easy way for her to do that, but he'd made it almost impossible. If she gave in and let him back into her heart, she could end up regretting it all over again, but then, when she thought about it, Jackie knew he'd never actually left her heart anyway. She was destined to love him forever it seemed, and that couldn't be changed no matter what was said or done.

"I'm trying to fix this, Jackie" he told her, sounding so genuinely sorry for what he'd done that it near broke Jackie's heart all over again, "but man, you have to know that I never seriously thought about marrying anyone my whole life, except for you" he swore, and she was only glad he couldn't see her face as tears ran down from her eyes once again, "Jackie, I know screwed up, and I can't promise I'll never screw up again, I can't even promise we'll get married any time soon" he said, carefully, reaching out a hand to her arm, "but what I do know for sure is that I never stopped loving you, and damn it, I don't think I ever will" he said as he gently turned her around once more.

Jackie looked into his face, knowing from the look in his unshielded eyes that he meant every word. Steven rarely said he loved her, she could count on one hand the number of times he'd used those words in the whole time they were together, but that was okay. Jackie knew he only ever said what absolutely needed to be said. His 'I love you' now meant so much more than a hundred might at any other time, and everything he'd said since he came in here tonight, no matter how much she tried to ignore it, she knew it was all true.

"Oh, Steven" she cried, sobbing as she went into his arms, the emotion and alcohol combined just too much for her to handle, "I love you too" she swore as they held on tight to each other, and Hyde let out a breath he'd barely realised he'd been holding.

Hugging went into kissing and the couple lost themselves in their reunion clinch for a moment, until Hyde noticed soemthing and pulled away. With a particularly dirty look on his face, he glanced down below Jackie's neck.

"Did I mention that I love this dress too?" he joked, as she too glanced down and saw that her clothes had once again chosen to expose her.

In spite of herself, Jackie laughed, righting her dress and socking Hyde playfully in the arm for his joke at her expense, before they went right back to kissing each other.

The ladies room of a bar may not be the most romantic or traditional place for a couple to make up, but then Jackie and Steven were not and would never be an ordinary couple.

- The End -


	3. Ep 3, You're My Best Friend

**A/N: So, some of these episodes are going to be more difficult than others to make J/H, but hopefully I'll be able to work something out for all them given time. Here's my take on the third episode, not a re-written scene but a whole new one that I had to put in this time... (Thanx for all the positive comments on the first two eps!)**

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**(For disclaimer etc. - see chapter 1)**

Ep 3 : You're My Best Friend

Steven Hyde was not having the best night. Right now he just wanted to go to bed, go to sleep, and forget about the mess that was his life. Of course, life, karma, the world, it had other ideas for him, this he realised as he headed for the steps down to basement, hoping to avoid the Formans or anyone who might be in the house and want to talk to him. He stopped short at the top of the concrete steps when he realised somebody was sitting there in the middle of them, someone he knew very well.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked, tone purposefully expressionless, and Jackie turned to see who was there, in spite of the fact she knew very well from the familiar voice whose shadow had engulfed her.

"Sitting" she said simply, "Thinking" she shrugged, turning back as Hyde gave barely a moments thought to his actions, plodded down a few steps and sat down beside his ex.

"Bet that's painful" he joked, the whole burn thing just coming naturally out his mouth without has brain really processing exactly what he was saying or who to.

"Just shut up, Steven!" Jackie exploded beside him, shoving him with her shoulder against his own, "I'm having the worst night ever" she declared, pushing her hands back through her mass of brunette locks and looking at the ground.

"Did you get arrested?" Hyde asked, peering through his dark glasses at the girl beside him.

"No" she replied, a slightly confused frown on her face as she looked back at him, and a little surprised when he smiled.

"I'm gonna win" he told her simply, "There was jail and a homeless guy who stole my jacket, then Kelso got us thrown out of a bar..." he listed off his bad night, checking each item off on a finger, but Jackie wasn't in the mood to hear of his suffering, not when she felt he had caused so much of her own.

"Don't even start with me, Steven, because I don't care!" she told him, pointing an angry finger at him and getting right in his face - not hard to do since they were sharing a step that was barely big enough to hold the two of them, "It is _your_ fault I had to spend my night trying to keep my best friend with me instead of some skank" she said looking both angry and sad as she went on, "If you never married that stripper whore Samantha, Donna would still want to be my friend" she said bitterly, "As if it isn't bad enough that_ you_ chose her over me"

"Hey, that's not fair, Jackie" Hyde tried to tell her, but she wasn't done yet, and he should've known it too.

"Oh, you want to talk about fair now, Steven?" she challenged him, turning her body to face him and continuing with her angry tirade, "Fine. How fair was it when you handed my dream, _my_ dream, Steven, to some blonde tramp you hardly knew in Vegas?" she asked him with tears sparkling in her wide eyes that it took all of Hyde's strength to ignore.

"You're messing this up, man!" he said with frustration and a random gesture of his hand, "You're making it sound like I went there to marry some chick, but I didn't!" he pointed out, "I went to drink and gamble and yeah, maybe to watch some girls take off some clothes, that's all" he tried to explain, knowing it didn't lessen his crime, but he needed to say all this, he should've said it before now, "Marrying Sam, I think it was 10 percent I thought you slept with Kelso, and at least 90 percent I was so drunk I didn't know what I was doing" he shook his head at his own unbelievable stupidity as he continued, less emphatically, more emotionally by now, something that hardly ever happened with Steven Hyde, "When she showed up here, I knew what I'd done had sealed the deal for you and me, Jackie. I took your dream and, well, kinda threw a stripper at it" he admitted sadly, "I hate that I hurt you that much, but you should know me better than to think I honestly went there looking for a wife" he told her, with a harsh edge to his voice, only because he was angry at himself, and maybe a little at her for not knowing him as well as he'd always thought she did, "When that was on my mind, I came looking for you in Chicago" he said, averting his eyes from her gaze once again as he realised exactly what he'd confessed, what emotions he'd let out there.

Jackie was the only woman he'd ever known who could make him spill his guts like that without even meaning to. He'd come into this conversation making petty burns, just wanting the night to be over. Suddenly, he found himself explaining his wrongs and declaring his feelings, and only Jackie could make him behave this way. She drove him crazy, but he missed her like hell these past few days and knowing he might never have with her what he had before was silently killing him inside, though nobody would've guessed from the outside.

"Yeah, you came to Chicago" Jackie agreed, fighting tears, "and then you ran away again, without waiting for my explanation about Michael" she said, waving one arm like a crazy windmill and almost smacking him in the face in the process, such was the frustration she felt, "Steven, I never would've even thought about sleeping with him if I didn't think I'd lost you forever" she said softly, one lone tear breaking free and sliding down her cheek as they stared at each other and realised now more than ever just how stupid they'd both been and how much they'd lost.

Unable to bear it any longer, Jackie's need to run from this man and this moment became too much. She scrambled to her feet and made to run up the stairs, but Steven could move just as fast and had perhaps anticipated her need for escape, since it mirrored his own on some level. Part of him felt it would be easier to bolt too, just as he had felt it might be simpler to bury his feelings and not deal with Jackie these past few days, just play house with Sam and hope everything would be okay, but it wasn't, and it wouldn't ever be whilst their situation remained as it was.

"Jackie..." he said as he caught up to her in the middle of the driveway and reached out a hand to her arm, stopping her in her tracks.

"What, Steven?" she asked him tears pouring down her face by now as she turned to face him, "What can you say to make this better?" she asked him desperately, wishing there were words that would help, but she didn't think there could be any, or they surely would've been said by now.

Steven stared at her for a long moment. There were a hundred things he could say, should say, but none of them seemed right, none of them could undo what was done. He'd never been great with sweet sentiments and such, he only knew he couldn't live his life like this. Sam was great, but she wasn't what he really wanted, she wasn't Jackie. How to tell his ex-girlfriend that, the only woman he had ever truly loved, without bringing up things that would cause her more pain. Steven didn't know how to answer Jackie's question, because there were no words right now. With that in mind, he pulled gently on the arm he still held in his hand, causing Jackie to trip forward into his arms where their lips met in a kiss that he hoped conveyed all he wished he had words for. At the very least he hoped it took the wind out of Jackie's sails long enough to give him some time to think of something to say that she might want to hear.

When they parted a moment later out of sheer necessity to breathe, Steven looked her right in the eyes and was at least glad to see she was no longer crying.

"I don't know what to say, Jackie" he admitted, "except that Sam never really meant anything to me, she can't" he assured her, "'cause the only girl I ever felt that way about was you" he confessed, hoping he looked as genuine as he felt.

The smile that erupted across Jackie's face suggested that he'd said and done the right thing for once and he was so glad of it. The little brunette threw her arms around him and held him tight, then moved to kiss him again. He'd honestly said just what she needed to hear, and since Jackie hadn't even been sure when they started what those words might be, she was astounded that he'd managed it.

Sure, things were going to be complicated. Her boyfriend was married to a whore, and they had so much to work through and figure out, but they loved each other, that much was obvious. Steven was Jackie's best friend, her boyfriend, her lover, and her future, at least she hoped that was all true. Everything else could be figured out later, right now she was just overjoyed to be back in his arms, and Steven found he was just as happy to have her there. Maybe it wasn't such a crappy night after all.

The End


	4. Ep 4, Misfire

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A/N: I'm trying to make this so its not repetitive, but there's only so many ways to have these two make up so sorry if it gets boring at any point... you should tell me if you get bored and I'll stop... maybe ;-) So, here's Misfire, in which Kelso still leaves (and that sucks!) but at least Jackie and Hyde figure things out :-)

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(For disclaimer, etc. - see Episode 1)

Episode 4: Misfire

"So, thank you for celebrating our twenty-fifth anniversary with us" Red said to the circle of people stood round the living room, semi-genuine smile on his face, "You know, nothing makes me appreciate my beautiful wife more then a room full of people that I don't like as much as her" he declared, his insult barely noticeable to most in the room, not just because they knew that was Red's way but because they were all too aware of what was coming next.

"Okay, my turn" Kelso said loudly, pushing his way to the centre of the room, "Mr. and Mrs. Forman, your long and happy marriage got me thinking about my future" he told them, as his friends looked on, "and when I think about my future there is always someone special in it... I mean, besides me" he explained, with a smile, "So, in front of all the people that I love..." he continued dropping to one knee in front of Jackie who looked less than surprised by the move, "Jacqueline Burkhart, will you marry me?" he asked, offering the balloon in his hand in place of a ring.

As Jackie opened her mouth to give her reply, she found her own 'no' was completely obliterated by a louder voice.

"Congratu...What the hell?" Fez said, looking stunned as he glanced between Jackie and Hyde.

"Steven?" she said as she looked past Kelso, who was still on his knees, to her ex boyfriend who had just spoken over her, apparently objecting to the proposal he was witnessing.

"Huh?" was Hyde's only response as he suddenly realised he'd made a fool of himself, and that the whole room was now staring at him.

"You said no" Jackie pointed out, in case he hadn't actually realised he'd done it, "You didn't wait to hear what I said, you just... you said no for me"

Hyde closed his eyes and expelled a breath. Jackie would have said no to Kelso all by herself, he'd been pretty sure of it, and still he hadn't wanted to take the chance she might accept. The thought of her married to another man damn near killed him inside and it was only when his friend had started in on this hair-brained scheme to make Jackie his wife, that Steven Hyde had come to realise how much damage he himself had done by marrying Sam.

"Jackie..." he began, opening his eyes to find she was right in front of him now.

"She said no?" Kelso checked and it seemed only Kitty had been really listening.

"Yes, sweetie" she confirmed in a low voice, "Now, why don't you get on up off the floor?" she encouraged him, letting out a softer version of her usual raucous laugh.

"I don't have to marry, Jackie?" he said happily as he got to his feet, "Yeah!" he yelled, punching the air, "Oh man! This is like my life is finally taking off! I'm moving to Chicago!" he said, running for the front door with the widest grin on his face, "I'm so happy, I'm gonna jump off the roof!" he said as he disappeared out the door, letting it slam shut behind him.

All eyes then returned to Jackie and Hyde who stood staring at each other, clearly struggling to know what to say. The crowd around them sure wasn't helping and it was Donna who noticed first.

"Y'know, if he does jump, he might need, y'know, medical help" she said getting up from her seat, "Mrs Forman, maybe we should..." she said, tipping her head towards the door and hoping Kitty understood which after a moment she seemed to.

"Oh, yes" she nodded, waving her arms in a crazy over-the-top gesture, "Come on everybody" she said, encouraging the party out of the door, "Let's all go see Michael hurt himself one last time" she said with an overly loud laugh as she ushered her husband, plus Bob, and the rest of the kids out of the door, leaving just Jackie and Hyde behind, looking to each other, and hoping they wouldn't have to speak first.

"You see now why you could never marry Kelso, right?" Hyde said after a while, for lack of knowing where else to begin.

"Steven, I was never going to marry Michael" Jackie assured him with a shake of her head, "I mean, I thought about it for like a minute but... we really couldn't ever make each other happy. We want different things" she said with a shrug of her shoulders as Hyde sat down on the couch and she followed suit a moment later.

"I guess there's more than one reason why we felt like a repeat run for you" he sighed, realising too many things had happened to make him come off like Kelso #2 in the dating-Jackie sense.

He cheated on her, he treated her badly, and one misunderstanding after another just ended up leading to heart-break and regret. They were too different, their future plans were at odds with each other, or so it seemed.

"We really aren't that different, Steven" Jackie reminded him, thinking of all the similarities that had brought them together, everything from loneliness and abandonment issues, to quick-wit and ability to burn, "We just wanted different things out of life" she said regretfully, wishing it wasn't true, but knowing now it must've been, at least she thought she knew, up until the moment when Michael proposed and Steven gave her answer for her.

"We weren't so far off, Jackie" he admitted, looking down at his own hands, fingers lacing and unlacing as he worked up the nerve to explain himself, "Y'know, man, this all got so screwed up. One minute I'm racing to Chicago with a ring in my pocket and the next... Well, Kelso isn't just the King of stupid, he's also the King at being the catalyst that screws up stuff between you and me" he smiled wryly.

"Hang on a second" Jackie said then, a frown on her face as she waved her hand around in a rewind type motion, "Go back to the part with... you had a ring?" she checked, wondering if her ears had made that part up of it she'd really heard it.

"Jackie, why do you think I chased you all the way to Chicago, man?" said Hyde as he got up from the couch and paced the living room, "You gave me an ultimatum" he reminded her, and pointing a finger, "Marriage or bust, remember?" he said, half way between angry and sad about the whole thing it seemed, "So I made a choice, and before I had a chance to tell you what it was, you ran away like a dumb kid"

"Hey, I didn't..." Jackie started, though his angry look silenced her when she realised he was right, she had done that.

She was entirely guilty of asking him a very serious question and then leaving before he had a chance to given an answer. It was wrong and childish, but she'd just been so afraid of a negative reply, it seemed safer to run and never know.

"I'm talking!" he snapped, in spite of the fact she was letting him go ahead anyway, "I followed you to Chicago because I made my decision, and man, I didn't know if it was going to work out, if we could really have this happy ever after fairytale crap that you wanted, but I was willing to give it a shot if it meant you staying here with me" he told her, much to the shock of Jackie Burkhart, who for perhaps the first time in her life was utterly speechless.

Of course, her silence didn't last long. She soon had questions and comments enough to say, but they all came into her head at once and in such a muddle, it took her a moment to know what to say first.

"Oh yeah?" she said pointlessly as she jumped to her feet and stood toe to toe with her ex, "Well... then why'd you go off and marry that stripper if you wanted to marry me?"

"Because you did it again, Jackie!" he declared, waving his arm in emphatic gestures, "Every time I wasn't sure how I felt or what the hell was happening between us, I found you with Kelso!"

"But nothing happened with me and Michael!" Jackie yelled back at him, "Because it was you I loved, and it always will be!" she shouted, not really aware of what she was saying til it was done.

Hyde didn't have an answer to that. It really wasn't what he'd expected to hear. After all that had happened, his marrying Sam and all, he just assumed Jackie couldn't possibly love him anymore. Surely this was the ultimate betrayal, and they could never go back from that, so he'd thought. Apparently he was wrong.

"Jackie..." he said, not sure after that where his sentence was going.

It didn't matter, neither of them had any words left right now, but there weren't needed as they let their hearts decide and went into each others arms, kissing like it was going out of style.

Somewhere in the background, a crash was heard, and then Michael Kelso yelling about the pain in his eye. To the kissing couple in the Formans living room it was just noise, barely anything to be concerned about. For Hyde the same applied to Sam, and though she was a decent enough girl, tomorrow he would have to tell her they were done. She'd been a big mistake, a stupid and drunken mistake, that truth be told he really didn't even remember what happened.

Jackie was his world, his future, and maybe even one day his wife, in a real and true sense. Right now he didn't want to talk about that, he just wanted to keep on kissing her, until the real world faded away around them.

- The End -


	5. Ep 5, Stone Cold Crazy

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A/N : I'll admit, the plot for this on took a while to twist and the ending is somewhat cheesy but... oh well, it is what it is, and its definitely Jackie/Hyde all the way! :-)

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(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Episode 5 : Stone Cold Crazy

Hyde just had to get out of the basement. The moment Sam had offered to show Kitty a few of her moves, the urge to run had been overwhelming! God, it'd be like seeing his Mom strip, which he was ashamed to say he'd actually had to bear witness to once on Take Your Son To Work Day, but the less said about that the better!

With the record store meaning work and the Hub requiring him to spend money, it wasn't long before Hyde had a brainwave that would lead to free food and some peace and quiet for a few hours. With Kelso gone to Chicago, Fez now lived alone, and when he was at work, as he would be now, that meant a free place to hang for the guy who had the 'emergency' spare key.

'This is an emergency' Hyde thought to himself as he headed on over there, 'I need food, beer, and a place to sit and watch TV!'

Unfortunately, Hyde's plans for relaxation were scuppered the moment he opened the apartment door only to find it was already occupied.

"Jackie" he reacted with surprise on the inside, though his Zen kept him calm on the outside as he glanced at her and then the poster she was hanging, "'Hang in there baby', and the kitty is hanging" he said, looking at her expectant face, as if she thought he'd be impressed or whatever, "Yeah, so, what the hell are you doing in Fez's apartment?" he asked instead as he came further into the room and shut the door behind himself.

"Oh well, since Michael moved to Chicago, he let me have his room" she explained, as she got down from the stool she'd been standing on and tried to decide what other changes she'd like to make to her new home, "Fez and I are gonna be roommates!" she said with a grin, that didn't please Hyde at all.

"Roommates?" he echoed, "You and Fez?" he said, with utter disbelief written on his features.

"What's wrong with that?" Jackie frowned, clearly not seeing the problem as she stared across at him from the other side of the coffee table that separated them - if only that was all that was keeping them apart.

"Jackie, he..." Hyde began, realising the moment he opened his mouth that he had no right to argue with her over this.

He wasn't her boyfriend anymore, he had no right to tell her who to live with, if he ever had before, and he certainly couldn't say those things he wanted to about Fez. Sure, it was true enough that the guy was a little pervert, but Hyde could hardly make moral judgements - he cheated on his girlfriend and married a stripper!

"He's what, Steven?" Jackie prompted when his sentence ended abruptly in the middle.

She was waiting for him to hurl insults at her friend, if only because she wanted the excuse to throw some at him. It was the only thing that really made her feel better since the break up, that and burning Sam any chance she got.

"Nothing" Hyde said with a shake of his head, "It's cool" he lied, though she didn't seem to notice.

"So what are you doing here, in _my_ apartment" she asked then, walking around the table and making to sit down on the couch, as Hyde also started moving, towards the kitchen.

"Technically, it's still mostly Fez's apartment" he pointed out as he went, "and I'm stealing the food" he said with a grin, not at all bothered that what he was doing was wrong as he proceeded to rifle through the fridge.

"Once a bad apple, always a bad apple" she said deliberately loud enough for him to hear, but it didn't bother Steven one bit.

"Whatever, Jackie" he called to her through the hatch from the kitchen, "Why don't you just get back to your posters, forget I'm here" he told her, and Jackie only wished it was that simple.

The two of them hadn't really been alone at all since the whole 'he married a stripper' debacle. She didn't know how to act around Steven anymore. When they first knew each other, they spent the whole time bickering and burning each other, then when they were together, it was all making out or fighting, both of which she understood. Now it was like they were in limbo, not really friends anymore, certainly not a couple, but unable to be real enemies either.

Trying to ignore the fact that he was there, Jackie turned her back on the kitchen and Hyde within it as she tried to decide if her poster needed moving or if perhaps her lamp would look better than Fez's on the shelf. She was hardly aware she was doing it, but as she planned the redecoration of the room, she started singing to herself. Though she didn't notice at all, Hyde did, and said as much as he returned from the kitchen with an over-filled sandwich in his hand.

"Do you have to sing while you decorate?" he asked, his expression telling her he wasn't impressed.

On auto-pilot she snapped at him for daring to start with her.

"It's my apartment, Steven, I can do whatever I want" she told him, hands on her hips and eyes shooting fire, "You do whatever you want at home, right? Like, y'know, your whorey wife" she spat, words she hoped would hurt him, though she doubted she could ever do as much damage as he'd done to her own heart.

"I am not getting into this with you" Steven shook his head, turning his attention from her to his sandwich and the TV he had just switched on.

Jackie stared at him for a long moment, but soon realised he was not going to react. Her evil glares had less effect than she'd like these day, everyone had just got far to used to them over the years. Going back to her decorating plans, she accidentally on purpose started up again with her singing, getting louder and louder to drown out the TV as Steven upped the volume once, twice...

"Why do you keep doing that?!" he exploded eventually, "Is it just to drive me insane?"

"I can't help it" she said, looking the picture of innocence, though Hyde wondered how much of that was faked as he stared her down, "I saw in the listings that The Wizard of Oz is on TV tonight and now I can't stop singing the song" she explained, "Maybe me and Fez can watch it together tonight" she said thoughtfully, knowing she was guaranteed a reaction out of her ex with that one - truth be told it was why she made sure the subject came up.

"So long as you don't end up..." he began, knowing as soon as he had that he'd done it again, played into her hands, started a conversation he never wanted to have.

"End up, what, Steven?" she asked with a wicked smirk on her lips as she stomped around the side of the couch and stood over him looking smug, "Doing what we did after I made you watch The Wizard of Oz with me?"

Steven winced at the memory that was far more pleasant than it ought to have been, flipped off the TV and brought his gaze back to meet hers.

"Okay first, you didn't make me watch it" he said firmly, "I did it because I wanted to, because I was bored and kinda wasted" he explained, deciding it was the lesser evil than admitting he'd done anything she'd wanted him to do in their relationship, "Second... I don't know what you're talking about" he lied out right, knowing it was dumb, but so eager to avoid this whole subject with her, for fear of what it would lead to.

"Liar!" Jackie yelled adamantly, loud enough to be heard across the tri-state area, Hyde was sure, before dropping down onto the couch beside him and lowering her tone to something reasonable, "Remember, I did my hair like Dorothy and..."

"Yes, okay, I remember" he admitted, shuffling along the couch some as she invaded his personal space, "You know I remember, so just drop it" he urged her, tone more angry than she'd hoped it'd be when he snapped at her.

For a minute there she'd almost let herself forget they weren't supposed to get along anymore. It was fun to tease him over his weaknesses, like actually liking girly movies he claimed to hate and such, it had always been fun. She missed having fun with Steven, she missed so much about being with him, and the smile slid from her face as she was reminded it was gone forever.

"I guess I should've known you'd turn out to be the tin man in the end" she said bitterly as slumped down into the couch cushions "No heart!" she spat at him, as she hopped onto her feet and made to run away to her room.

She didn't even make one step forward when he spoke.

"Jackie..." Steven sighed from his place at the end of the couch, as he slid his glasses from his face and tossed them on the table, "I guess you didn't pay much attention to your little movie, did you?" he said, his tone not half so forceful as it might have been as he explained, "The tin man did have a heart" he told her as she turned to look at him, "he just didn't know how to use it right"

Jackie stared down at him then, contemplating what he was saying. Those words didn't just apply to a character in a story, they worked for Hyde too. It didn't change what he'd done, how he'd hurt her, several times over, but it reminded Jackie that Steven had his heart broken too, so many times, before she even met him.

"Steven..." she began, only to have him interrupt, just when she thought she knew how she wanted to respond.

"I never really said I was sorry about Sam, but y'know I meant to, right?" he said, his tone and features showing signs of the soft and gentle Steven that only Jackie ever got to see when they were alone together.

Steven Hyde wasn't often sincere, his words were harsh rather than heartfelt, and yet Jackie loved that she was allowed to see this side of him sometimes. No dark glasses to hide behind, no fancy conspiracy theories to blame everything on. This was him, all of him, open and honest, like those few precious times when he'd said I love you. Jackie knew he meant these words, this apology, as much as he'd ever meant anything in his life, and so nodded her head in response to his question. Yes, she knew he was sorry, but did that really change anything?

Getting up from the couch, Hyde picked his glasses off the table and hung them in the top of his T-shirt as he headed silently for the door. His hand reached for the knob but didn't quite make it as Jackie spoke again.

"Steven, if you could go visit the great Oz and get one wish answered, what would it be?" she asked him, her real question hidden behind the silliness of a movies fairytale.

"Jackie, you know what it'd be" Hyde told her, his looks conveying everything so he didn't need to explain that all he really wanted was to go back in time to when they were together and happy, "You?" he said then, returning the question, almost offering her the chance he wanted to be given, the chance for them to set things right if they could.

A feint smile graced her lips as Jackie shook her head slightly.

"I don't need a wizard" she told him, "I just need to click my heels three times" she said, taking a couple of steps to close the gap between them "and say, there's no place like home" she smiled, "and I'll be back where I belong" she said, reaching for his hands and encouraging his arms round her waist, "right?" she finished, putting her own arms up around his neck and waiting for his reply.

"Just like magic" he said with a smile as he dipped his head and put his lips to hers in a sweet kiss.

Of course, it wasn't a fairytale and the story wouldn't end on the kiss and a happily ever after. There was so very much to figure out, so very far to go, but this was the first step on the long winding, yellow brick road, that would eventually take them home to happiness.

The End


	6. Ep 6, Long Away

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A/N: Glad you readers are still enjoying these re-written episodes - I appreciate the reviews! So, this episode took me a while to figure out. I really hope you like what I've done with it :-)

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(For disclaimer, etc. - see episode 1)

Episode 6: Long Away

It was two weeks since the disaster that was Jackie and Fez's interference in the Eric/Donna relationship. Not that they really had a relationship to meddle in by the time they sent their childish and irresponsible letter to Africa. It still astounded Jackie that a loser like Eric would ever dump a girl like Donna. Sure, she was a crazy giant with stomping feet and weird taste in clothes, but she was still too hot for a geek like him. Maybe she was better suited to dating Randy, Jackie considered, but sometimes you couldn't base love on looks, that she had learnt the hard way, having fallen for Steven Hyde when she had the option of sticking with Kelso. It was true that Michael was a cheater but he had better hair and clothes than Steven.

Unfortunately, Jackie stopped being shallow somewhere along the line. Steven became her world, and that world shattered when he went off and married his whorey stripper wife. Now, weeks after, Jackie had tried her best to be over him, to move on as easily as it seemed he had, but it was proving impossible. She tried to revert to her old shallow self, bitching and burning her way through days she must spend in Steven's company if she wanted to hang out with her friends at all. It wasn't working, and if only she knew how, Jackie would love nothing better than to fix what was broken between herself and Steven. It wasn't going to happen, and she ought to just accept it, but that didn't come easily to Jackie Burkhart.

"Hey" the very ex-boyfriend she'd been thinking of descended the stairs into the basement, "Good thing you're here" he said, much to Jackie's surprise, as he moved around the back of the couch, checking in the shower where Fez liked to hide and then back into his own room in case Sam was back yet.

"My being here is a good thing?" Jackie said, mostly to herself, a little surprised that he would say so, after all, for every burn she'd thrown at Steven he had been equally as nasty back.

"Okay" he said as he returned and sat down in his usual seat beside the couch, "I'm not happy about this, but Forman is like my best friend and... well, read for yourself" he said, handing over a piece of paper to Jackie.

She glanced at what was apparently a letter then over at Steven as he put a tape player on the table before them and took a cassette from his pocket. Jackie frowned as she focused on the paper in her hand and read what it said. It was short and to the point. For whatever reason, Eric wanted both herself and Steven to hear this tape that he had presumably recorded and sent following his receipt of the letter from her and Fez. If he wanted to yell at her for her stupidity he could have just called, and surely he'd want Fez to hear too, plus it would have nothing to do with Hyde. Jackie didn't get it at all, but as far as she could tell she had nothing to lose.

Without a word spoken between them, Jackie put the note on the table and Hyde watched her do so, then reached out and pressed play on the tape machine.

"Hey, guys" said Eric's familiar voice, "So, er, if this has worked out right I should be talking to just Hyde and Jackie" he said, as the pair exchanged an awkward look, "First off, I want to say thank you to Jackie, which is kind of freaky because that really doesn't happen a lot... Anyway" he continued, "Jackie, I appreciate that you were trying to be... I guess, nice is word" he said, his tone full of surprise, "God, dating Hyde really did make you grow up and stuff" he noted as the ex-couple shared another look, this one less awkward and more smiley.

"So, er, I broke up with Donna, and she probably told you that by now" Eric continued on his recording, "I spent a lot of time thinking about it and even now I'm wondering if I made the right choice. I just feel lousy for leaving the way I did and expecting Donna to wait for me. People don't wait, and they shouldn't have to, y'know?" he went on, pointlessly asking the question since no-one could possible answer a recording.

Jackie looked at Hyde and caught him watching her, wondering if Eric was really so smart he planned for this stuff to suit them as much as it did him and Donna.

"I got to thinking that, y'know, it's like Star Wars, man" he went on, making both his friends laugh lightly, since every single thing always seemed to come back to that damn movie for Eric.

Hyde's finger on the fast forward button made Jackie frown until he spoke.

"You want to hear ten minutes of Star Wars crap?" he checked, taking the look on her face as agreement with what he was doing as he stopped and pressed play, heard the words 'Obi-wan Kenobi' and wound on some more.

"...and so I think that proves just how many things in life are echoed in that movie" he said, much to Hyde and Jackie's relief, "but hey, I'm running out of tape and I didn't even get to the point yet" Eric caught himself rambling and continued with what he meant to say.

"Y'know, Mom told me about you two breaking up over some stripper. Hyde, man, I know it's like living the dream or whatever, but what dream?" he checked, "Some dream we had years ago, before we got great girlfriends?" he questioned the young man who stared down at the tape player from behind the tinted glasses he almost always wore, "You're seriously telling me your best solution to your big-ass drunken mistake is just to sit back and do nothing?" he said, "That's not the Hyde I know! When he wants something he stands up and fights for it, and Jackie!" Eric suddenly caught the girls attention by snapping at her, "What the hell, man? You're just going to sit there and cry over how another guy screwed up?" he asked her via the machine that she stared at as intently as her ex was.

"Personally, I think you're both crazy if you let each other get away, or worse do what I just know you're doing, throwing burns at each other to hide the fact that actually you still love each other" he said, less angry than he'd seemed a moment ago, "Look, guys, I'm doing a lot of thinking out here in Africa, and a lot of growing up too. As much as I kind of hate the idea of Donna dating any other guy, I had to make a decision that's best for her. I don't want her to sit around crying about me and waiting for me to call. I want her to have a life, and I want my friends to have a life too, together if that's how they're meant to be" he told the two, as Hyde removed his glasses and threw them down on the table, rubbing his tired eyes with the back of his hands as he considered what he was being told.

"You two were so together, man, and it was crazy at first and it seemed wrong, but you showed us all how right you could be together" Eric went on to say as Jackie teared up at how sweet he was being, trying to fix hers and Steven's broken relationship even from Africa - he really was a good friend.

"Anyway, I don't know if you've been listening. Knowing Hyde he probably listened to this by himself and destroyed it before Jackie ever got a chance to hear... but, man, I hope you didn't do that" he sighed, "When I eventually come home, I'd like to think it was to happy people, like you were for so long before. Think about it, guys. It's all I ask" he said, as the tape clicked and crackled and was blank.

Silence reigned in the basement as the two young people within it took onboard all their friend had said and tried to figure out what it all meant, where they went from here. Though neither knew what the other was thinking, they were both actually considering remarkably similar ideas. They'd broken up over a drunken mistake, a big one but sill, it seemed crazy. They had been happy before, until Jackie got pushy and Hyde got defensive. They'd proved everybody wrong by sticking together for a good long while, their relationship only outlived by Eric and Donna's own. Had he not gone to Africa, there was no doubt they'd still be going strong, it certainly seemed like Eric was wishing they were.

"So" Jackie said, when the silence threatened to drown them both, "That was... not what I expected"

"Me either" Hyde agreed, perhaps the first exchanged of words they'd managed since the Samantha incident where they actually did agree on something and were not just finding any old excuse for a burn, "I can't believe Forman thinks we need dating advice from him!" he said then with an incredulous look and matching hand gesture.

"I know!" Jackie agreed, "I mean, we so don't need him to tell us what to do. We know whether we want to be together or not" she said definitely, "And we don't... right?" she said, looking sideways at Hyde.

"Uh-huh" he nodded, his answer as vague and non-committal as the look on his face as he peered over at her sat there in the couch, as cute and hot and all as she'd ever been.

"Steven..." she started, when she realised she didn't know how to take his answer or the way he was looking at her.

She got the shock of her life, but in the best way, when he leaned across the space between them, put his hand behind her head and pulled her into a kiss, as hot as any they'd ever shared.

"Huh" he said when they parted, both sucking in air as they sat back in their respective seats, "So, that still works, right? Still feels good"

"Oh yeah" Jackie nodded, still trying to get her breath back, "but that's not enough to..."

"No" Hyde agreed immediately, "I mean, if we were going to start this up again... well, there's Samantha and everything to deal with..."

"There would have to be a major apology..." Jackie agreed, as they started to talk over each other, caught themselves, and promptly stopped at the same moment, "but we could make it, you think? Maybe?" she said softly in the silence that descended once more.

"I'd like to think so" Hyde nodded, a smile creeping across his lips as he looked across at her, and they both started to lean in without even realising they were doing it til their lips met again.

Eric was right, for once in his geeky dumbass life, it seemed. Jackie and Hyde both knew they belonged together, and all they needed to do was admit it. He never meant to hurt her by marrying Sam, and she ought to have listened and tried to forgive him, instead of the pair of them acting like kids. If Eric was starting to sound like the grown-up out of the three of them, that was just damn scary, and something needed to be done about it.

Steven Hyde thought he'd been doing the adult thing by sticking with his mistake of a wife, and Jackie Burkhart let herself believe that she was being the grown-up by letting him go. The truth was they'd both been foolish kids, but that was going to change, and as it had before, it would all start with a kiss.

- The End -


	7. Ep 7, Fun It

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A/N: Hey all, I'm back with a small offering for the next Season 8 episode! Hope you guys aren't bored with my little project yet because I'm not! I know I left you waiting for more for a long time... hope you're still here?

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(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Episode 7: Fun It

It would have been the perfect plan, an awesome prank to play on the grumpy owner of Fatso Burger who really needed to be taught a lesson. Hyde was usually up for any major burn like this, and stealing the huge ceramic clown that dominated the outdoor eating area would have been an awesome achievement to add to his list of crimes. Unfortunately, there was one big reason why he wouldn't go through with it.

"We're not stealing that clown" he told the gang, though Randy had thought his idea was so smart and Donna seemed to agree.

"Hyde is right, stealing the clown is lame" Fez agreed, going on to explain his own plan that had something to do with pickle-throwing.

Hyde really wasn't listening as he picked at his remaining fries, trying not to look across the table. He could feel her watching him, the little bossy brunette at the centre of his big reason not to let the gang commit the offence their newest friend had suggested.

"No, that's lame" Donna argued with Fez, "Randy's idea was better. Let's steal that clown!" she said excitedly.

Jackie stayed quiet throughout the whole exchange, just staring across at Hyde who spared her a quick glance before he spoke to Donna.

"C'mon, man, it's such a stupid prank" he shook his head, "Even Fez thinks it's lame, and besides, you only wanna do this because it was Randy's plan" he told her.

Donna looked awkward then, and within seconds had quite definitely decided it was a lame-ass idea for more reasons than she could even count. Hyde smiled to himself, proud of how easily he'd swayed her, and by how much he'd pleased Fez by unintentionally endorsing his pickle-throwing idea.

Of course, he hadn't said what he had to make Donna feel bad or Fez feel better. God help him he was such a fool, but he'd only claimed the prank to be less than cool because of Jackie. The worst of it was, he was pretty sure she knew it too.

"I'm gonna get more food" Randy suggested as he got up from his seat at the same moment as Donna.

"Well, I'm not going with you" she said, knowing that was her intention at first but catching herself at the last moment, "I'm... I'm going to the bathroom" she said, running off in the opposite direction.

"Did she have to mention the bathroom?" Fez complained, staring at the large pop he had just sucked down, "Oh, now Fez has to pee too!" he said loudly, getting up from his seat and running off.

Hyde leant back in his seat, trying to look anywhere but at Jackie, not an easy task when she was the only one left at the table, and sat right opposite him. His dark glasses mostly hid the fact he felt the need to glance her way once or twice, if only to see if she was also looking at him - she was, every time.

"Thank you, Steven" she said quietly, when she was sure no-one would hear.

"For what?" he asked, like he didn't know.

"For talking them out of their dumb clown stealing idea" she shuddered just saying the word, "I know you did it for me..."

"No, I didn't" he said it too quickly for his denial to be real, "I just, I thought it was a dumb idea" he lied, picking at the leftover food on the table, but not wanting to eat any of it right now.

"You are such a liar!" Jackie exploded at him, pulling herself around the table til she was sat behind him, "I told you months ago about my fear of clowns, and you always like to steal stuff. So do not tell me that you didn't say no to that prank because of me"

"You want to know why I said no, Jackie?" Hyde challenged her, trying to think quickly of an excuse as she stared back at him, waiting for the explanation - when none came, she spoke instead.

"There are only two reasons for you not to want to steal Fatso, Steven!" she told him, counting both off on her fingers as she continued, "One, you're growing up into a mature adult, or two, you did it for me because you still care about my feelings"

Hyde didn't have an answer to that, she knew he couldn't possibly. He didn't want to admit to the responsible adult thing anymore than he wanted to admit he still loved her, but in all honesty, both were at least a little true. Oh hell, the first was mostly true, the second was completely true, and it was getting harder to deny every day. Still, it was pointless, whether he'd come to realise what it was to be an adult or not, whether he loved her or not, it didn't stop him being married, and it didn't stop Jackie hating him for it either.

"So, what, Jackie?" Hyde shrugged his shoulders, leaning on the table just the same as she was, the two of them all up in each others face, "So, what if I did do it for you? What difference does it make?"

"It makes all the difference, Steven" she told him, suddenly speaking much more quietly, her eyes softening as they shared a long look, "If you still love me, like I love you..." she said, meaning to say more, but the words died on her tongue and his lips were just so close, she could feel his breath on her face.

One sweet kiss was all they got before the rest of the gang returned, Randy and Fez still talking about the wonder of each of their plans, and Donna calling them both immature dill-holes. As they talked over each other, Hyde and Jackie just shared a long look, silently agreeing that they needed to be elsewhere, needed to talk. Getting up from the table without a word, his hand found hers and they walked away from Fatso Burger and their friends, with Hyde calling a vague 'see you later, guys' over his shoulder.

Maybe he had grown up, at least enough to know that this afternoon would change his life all over again. Stealing a clown sounded like fun, but it would ignite one of Jackie's worse fears and wasn't worth it. Hyde had come to realise that losing her from his life forever was one of his worst fears, and he wasn't willing to let it happen.

- The End -


	8. Ep 8, Good Company

**A/N: Hmm, I think I lost a few readers in my absence. Oh well, always grateful for _anyone_ who is reading and reviewing :-)**

__

**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**

Episode 8: Good Company

"You know, for years older men have dated younger women, and now it's finally okay for a younger man to date an older woman" Donna said from her spot at the bar in Fez's apartment, apparently about to defend his latest choice of partner, "I guess what I'm trying to say is... gross!" she yelled suddenly, looking completely freaked.

In fairness, the rest of the gang were no more comfortable than she. Hyde shuddered at the thought, as did Randy and Jackie who were either end of the couch.

"Say what you want, but Mrs. Sullivan is so much more passionate than girls your age" Fez waved his hand in a random gesture, "You kids just lie there" he complained, as if he were the expert, "Mrs. Sullivan, she moves, she shakes, she makes noises" he explained.

"Are you sure she wasn't having a stroke?" Hyde grinned at his own joke, before turning serious a moment later, "Seriously, Fez, you don't have to date someone's grandma to get good action" he told him with a shake of his head.

"No, you can be like Steven" Jackie smiled sweetly, "and marry a whore"

That remark only seemed to wound Hyde for a second before he smirked and shot her a look that everyone understood.

"I wasn't talking about Samantha" he said, much to the surprise of his friends.

"Oh, man" Randy smiled, "Is Jackie a little firecracker in the bedroom?" he said, nudging her with his elbow, as Donna covered her mouth with her hand in shock.

Before either Jackie or Hyde had a chance to make a comment or answer the question their new friend had posed, Fez jumped in, a frown on his face.

"That's not what Kelso said..." he shook his head as he recalled the conversation.

"Yeah, well" Hyde shrugged his shoulders, wicked smirk still firmly fixed on his face as he stared over at Jackie who looked incredibly uncomfortable, "I like to think I bring it out of her"

"_Brought_, Steven! Past tense!" she snapped, attempting to force down the blush that rose in her cheeks and failed miserably, "Besides, if I'm good" she said, putting a hand to her own chest, "it's because of me being good at everything, and nothing to do with you!" she said angrily, voice getting beyond high as it was wont to do when she got mad.

Up on her feet in a second, Jackie pushed past Randy, knocking him off the arm of the sofa into the cushions as she slammed into her bedroom, leaving a stunned group of friends behind her.

"So, I figured out what I want for my Birthday..." Donna said moving to sit on the couch where her friend had just vacated it, and silence reigned too long, "Everybody to stop talking about their sex lives in front of me!" she exclaimed then, clearly less amused and more freaked out as the conversation went on too long for comfort.

The last thing she needed to be picturing was Jackie and Hyde having sex. It was bad enough when they were going out and she caught the live pre-show as they made out all over the basement without a care in the world!

"I'm not sure how to gift-wrap that" Randy said thoughtfully, as he righted himself on the couch, though nobody seemed to notice his joke at all.

"Well, now all the fun sex talk is over, I should head back to work" Fez sighed, as he pulled on his jacket and headed for the door.

"Actually, me too" Randy realised, shooting a grin at Hyde, "My boss is a real tyrant" he said, jokingly, following Fez to the door.

"I'll drop by later, man" Hyde called behind his employee as he moved to join Donna on the couch, as the other two guys left.

"So, what do you really want for your birthday?" Hyde asked Donna, for lack of any other topic of conversation right now, and not comfortable in the silence since it was just making him think about Jackie.

Thinking of her alone in her room, all mad and potentially upset, that just led to guilt and badness for Steven Hyde, and he could do without it.

"I don't know" Donna shrugged, picking up her soda and sipping it thoughtfully, "World peace. Genuine equality... You and Jackie to just make the hell up already!" she said suddenly, making Hyde physically jump.

"Okay, you're a crazy woman" he said definitely, reaching for his own can and wishing it was beer, since getting drunk suddenly felt like a really good plan.

"Come on, Hyde" Donna socked him in the arm, "No-one is buying that you just stopped loving her or that she just stopped caring either" she said with a look that suggested she was not going to take any crappy excuses on this one, "Okay, so you made a dumb drunken mistake marrying Sam, and that kind of makes you a dumb drunk man-slut" she said as she considered it, "but what I don't get is why she's still here"

"She's my wife" Hyde said simply, as if that was reason enough, even though even he himself knew it was complete crap.

"Sure, on paper" Donna agreed, "but seriously, Hyde, do you love her?" she asked, unable to believe for a moment that he did.

It certainly wasn't the reason he'd married the Vegas stripper, that was all down to the booze, and everyone knew it. Whilst Donna didn't doubt he liked the look of Sam's body and maybe even what she could do with it, she couldn't think for a moment he really cared a whole lot about her - he barely knew her.

"I don't love, period" Hyde said firmly, though he was looking more into his can than at Donna, making it all the more obvious the words he spoke were pure trash.

"Yes, you do" she told him loudly, "You loved Jackie. I actually think you still do, but you're such a dill-hole!" she raved on, pointing an angry finger at him, "You'd rather pretend like you're all Zen and everything, bury your head in the sand, and stay with Sam because she's easy" she finished, quickly realising that was maybe the wrong phrase to use when Hyde quirked an eyebrow at her, "to be with" she clarified, "not... whatever. You know what I mean!" she said frustratedly, hating that he was making her get away from her very important point.

There was a pause then, a moments silence. Donna wasn't so sure that her words had any effect on Hyde at all, she never had been able to tell his thoughtful face from his ignoring her face. Still, she waited to see what his reaction would be before saying anything else.

"Okay" he said after a while, "if I tell you this, you can never ever repeat it ever, okay, man?" he said firmly, which gave Donna at least a little hope.

"Sure" she agreed, hoping for once that Jackie was actually listening in like she usually would, because she had a feeling they were both about to hear something good.

"I knew when Sam showed up that I'd done the worst thing I ever could to hurt Jackie" Hyde winced as he recalled that day and the terrible look of pain of his then-girlfriends face when Sam walked in an announced herself as his wife, "and you're right I did love her, I still do" he admitted, much to Donna's delight, "but she can't feel that way about me now, and I wouldn't ever ask her to" he said, the blonde's smile turning upside down into a frown as Hyde continued, "Me and Sam, it makes sense" he shrugged, "We can't hurt each other 'cause we don't care enough about what we have for anything to matter, y'know?"

"Oh my God, I was right!" Donna gasped with some shock, her hand briefly covering her mouth, "You're staying with Sam because you're afraid that if you and Jackie get back together you'll wind up getting hurt, both of you" she said all in a rush, a little stunned that it was true and more than that because she'd actually got Steven Hyde, King of Zen, to admit to such a thing.

"Yes, okay?" Hyde threw up his hands in mock-surrender, "You caught me, I actually care about somebody" he admitted, his tone somewhat annoyed by now, "You're the first person to notice, thank God" he said, picking up his can and putting it to his lips.

"Second person" said a voice behind him, almost causing Hyde to spit soda everywhere as he turned at the same moment Donna did and they both saw Jackie standing there in her bedroom doorway, "I noticed once" she said softly, as she and Hyde stared at each other.

"Okay" Donna said quickly getting to her feet, "You two need to be alone" she said definitely, practically running for the door, though neither of the two friends she left behind noticed at all, their eyes fixed on each other a good while longer.

"I guess you heard all of that" Steven said when he realised one of them had to speak at some point.

"Most of it" Jackie nodded as she walked on over and perched on the couch beside her ex, "Do you really stay with Sam because it's easier than being with me?" she asked, barely looking at him as she asked the question, "Because you're afraid we'll end up hurting each other?" she checked, forcing herself to face him if only to ensure he gave some real kind of answer.

"It's all we seem to do, man" Steven shook his head, as he removed his tinted glasses and tossed them on the table, "You get jealous, I get jealous. You yell at me, I yell at you" he gestured between them as he explained, "We have pretty much nothing in common. Is it even worth it?" he asked, knowing she would likely say it was, knowing he felt the same deep down and was just too afraid of saying so right now, for fear of being shot down.

"I thought so" she agreed, "Steven, I only stopped caring when you did" she told him, turning her body so she was facing him more, "It was like you didn't want me to love you anymore" she said, not meaning to make him feel bad, but seemingly doing so anyway, "but it didn't matter, I couldn't stop loving you even when I wanted to" she admitted, her voice ridiculously soft for one who was usually so loud.

"Huh" was Hyde's immediate response, that was followed by a long pause, before he eventually added, "Well, there's one thing we have in common, I guess" he told Jackie, looking sideways at her, as they shared a smile.

"It's a place to start" she nodded slowly, as she leaned back into the couch cushions beside him, letting her head rest on his shoulder, "but... what about Sam?" she said, deliberately not looking at him, since she feared the answer, in spite of all that had been said.

"You were listening in, right?" he said with a smirk she couldn't see, until she lifted her head and looked up at him, "You heard the part where I didn't care?"

Jackie smiled in spite of herself at that comment, as she leaned up and kissed his lips.

- The End -


	9. Ep 9, Who Needs You

**A/N: Good to know I haven't lost you all yet, some of you are still reading, so yay! I will admit these episodes are going to get trickier as we go along and I worry a little about getting repetitive, but I am trying to come up with something new and different every time.**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Episode 9 : Who Needs You

"What is going on with you and your stripper wife?" Jackie asked as she entered the basement via the back door, just at the same moment Sam hurled abuse at her so-called husband and stormed up the stairs in a huff, leaving Hyde alone with his ex, "You guys are fighting like cats and whores"

"Yep. The honeymoon is over" Hyde nodded in agreement as he sat down in his usual seat and Jackie plopped down onto the couch nearby, "You know, once the thrill of being married to a stripper is gone, you're just left with a wife who's always got change for a five" he said thoughtfully, before realising who he was speaking to, still when he looked her way Jackie didn't even seem to be listening to him anyway, "What's up with you?" he asked, telling himself it was just boredom and curiously that made him ask, though deep down he knew there was a deeper reason - he still cared.

"Fez is all mad at me" Jackie sighed, making some random 'whatever' gesture with her arm, "So I flooded the apartment a little? Anybody can make a mistake" she shrugged like it was no big deal.

Hyde smirked at her attitude, wondering how it had ever taken so long to teach her to be Zen when her natural state was to simply not care.

"Yeah, well, the parents are mad at me" he told her conversationally, "Mrs Foreman says she can't put up with me and Sam fighting anymore. Apparently it's like living with a couple of Italians" he smirked, finding the phrasing amusing at least, even if the situation he found himself in right now was less than fun.

"She never complained when you and me fought" Jackie said thoughtfully, knowing immediately that she and Steven caught each others gaze that it was a mistake to bring up their own relationship right now.

Still, it was done, no going back, and really after everything they ought to be able to talk like adults about what once was between them. Perhaps it was just awkward to Jackie because things weren't so past tense for her. She wasn't the one who ended things, Steven had done that when he married Samantha.

"You and me... That was different" he said awkwardly, trying not to look at her but realising there wasn't really anywhere else to go without running away like a little girl.

"How?" Jackie asked his looking bemused, "Other than my not being a whore" she added with a look that Hyde only missed because he couldn't meet her eyes right now.

He opened his mouth to answer her question, but the words wouldn't come.

"I cannot talk to you about this" he shook his head, throwing his tinted glasses on the table and rubbing tired eyes.

Honestly, he couldn't talk to anybody about this, he couldn't even get it all straight in his head, and if he could, who would he share such things with? The guys would laugh at him if he talked about anything emotional, Kitty would get all squealy and weird, Red would leave the room after threatening to kick his pansy-ass, and Donna was always busy with Randy. The only person he ever talked to about this stuff was Jackie, and then seldom if ever. Since they broke up, they'd barely been in the same room alone together, til now.

"Steven, come on" Jackie urged him, sitting forward on the edge of the couch, and reaching out a hand that landed on his forearm, "After all we've been through, we can't even talk now?" she said, looking terribly sad as he glanced from her hand near his to her eyes and back.

"Not about this" he squirmed, as he retracted his arm, dislodging her hand on the way, "See, er..." he began, picking up his glasses and adjusting them on his face, "Sam thinks that fighting is good for us, because it leads to... y'know, making up" he said vaguely.

"Oh..." Jackie said thoughtfully, before she came to realise just exactly what Steven meant by that, "Oh, eew!" she declared, the very last thing she needed to think about being her ex and his new stripper whore wife having sex!

"See, I can't talk to you about this" he declared, waving a hand at her, "You don't wanna hear it, and I can't talk about it with you" he said as he got up from his seat and moved towards the stairs.

"Hold on a second, Steven" she called after him, making him stop but not turn back yet, "You said, she thinks fighting and... stuff" she said awkwardly, "_She_ thinks it's good for you... but you don't?" she checked, wondering why it would be a problem for him.

She knew Steven well enough, and their relationship had its own turbulence as well as passion. Fighting and making up was maybe one thing Jackie and Steven did best, and as far as she could tell it ought to feel just as good for him with Sam.

"Jackie, you know me" he sighed as he turned back to face her, those words perhaps some of the truest he'd ever spoken, "We're talking about two things that I'm really good at, but..." he said, meeting her eyes and suddenly feeling sick, knowing if he really explained this to her it would lead to disaster, "I need a beer" he declared, waving away the rest of a sentence that wouldn't help and pelting up the wooden steps to the kitchen.

Unfortunately for Hyde, Jackie Burkhart did not give up easily, this he ought to have learnt in all the time they'd spent together from enemies to friends to lovers and back around a couple more times. She wanted an answer and she wasn't going to rest til she got it.

"Steven, when are you going to stop running away from things and start being an adult?" she asked, an angry edge to her voice a she caught up to him at the refrigerator.

If he thought standing there with his head in the appliance was going to stop her yelling at him he was sorely mistaken. Of course, he knew that, but Hyde had been willing to try anything. He knew already that the beer in his hand wasn't going to help, nothing was. The truth wanted to force itself out, alongside the anger that was more at himself for letting things get so screwed up than at Jackie for making him admit it.

"What do you want me to say, Jackie?" he asked, eyes flashing as he slammed the refrigerator door shut and stood toe to toe with his ex, "That no matter what I do I can't make anything as good with Sam as it was with you?" he asked her, knowing the very question was an admission he'd been trying not to make, but it was too hard to keep up this charade.

Jackie gazed up at him with wide innocent eyes as surprise registered on her features at his words.

"Is that true?" she asked him, her voice coming out much quieter than she'd intended.

"Yes, okay?" Hyde told her, anger dissipating into frustration and ebbing away to almost nothing, "Yes, it's true. You happy now?" he asked as he turned to slam his beer bottle onto the counter, only to realise someone else had heard his whole confession, someone who looked almost as stunned as Jackie.

"Wow" she declared as he and his ex both stared across at her.

"Sam..." he began, not sure what he was going to say after that, and spared needing to try and form a sentence when she interrupted.

"No, it's okay" she smiled bravely, "You know I kind of thought that's what all this was about" she nodded, looking past her husband at Jackie, "Nothing I did ever really pleased him, and believe me, I know all the tricks" she explained, apparently not noticing that the girl she spoke to was less than impressed, "I couldn't ever be what you needed, Hyde" she said, looking back at him now, her hand covering his on the counter for just a moment, "You still love her"

Though he opened his mouth to deny it, the look on his face spoke volumes as he glanced between the woman he had married, and the one he'd always loved.

"Take care of him, Jackie" Sam asked of her a she walked around the counter, past the ex-couple who looked stunned still by her attitude, "I know he made a mistake but he's a good guy" she said, her hand hovering at Jackie's shoulder a moment, before she moved past her towards the basement, "I'm gonna go pack my things" she said as she disappeared from sight.

Alone together in the kitchen, neither Hyde nor Jackie knew what to say next. The last person they had expected to force them to face each other and the feelings they'd been trying to hide was the one person who seemed to be in the way of some reconciliation between them.

Without a word, Hyde re-opened the refrigerator and took out another beer. Jackie watched him pop the tops off the bottle and accepted the one he handed to her with a questioning look on her face.

"So... to the future?" he suggested, and though he hadn't said what he thought that future might be for them, Jackie was pretty certain she could tell just from the look in his eyes.

"Sure" she nodded in agreement, smiling as she clinked her bottle against his, and they both drank to the happy ever after they might just find somehow.

- The End -


	10. Ep 10, Sweet Lady

**A/N: Glad you guys are sticking with me on this journey through Season 8. This episode was a little trickier to make J/H than some of the others, but I gave it my best shot...**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Episode 10 : Sweet Lady

"Oh, Steven!" Kitty exclaimed excitedly the moment Hyde entered the living room from the kitchen, "You're just in time to see Christine St George on What's Up Wisconsin! I just love her! Ahahaha! And in a minute they have a man coming on with this huge pumpkin and then a high school marching band that together has lost more then 400 pounds!"

"Steven won't watch, Mrs Forman" Jackie said with an eye-roll as she glanced over at her ex, "he doesn't... Huh" she stopped short as she watched Hyde drop into the arm chair and stare over at her with a smirk on his face.

He loved to prove people wrong, especially when they presumed to know him better than he knew himself. Plus annoying Jackie had always been fun, back when they first met, when they were dating, and every time in between. He realised with some distaste that much of his fun in bugging her was because she was sexy as hell when she got mad, and he loved bringing that fiery temper out of her.

"I have nothing else to do right now" he shrugged as Kitty and Jackie both looked from the TV to him, "except go to work and... yeah, not gonna happen" he said with a shake of his head as Mrs Forman began to wave her arms around.

"Ssh!" she hushed the pair sat either side of her, despite the fact neither of them was making a sound right now, "It's back!" she declared as they looked at the TV screen and saw Christine St George appear.

It was clear to Hyde within two minutes why he did not usually watch this show or any show like it. It wasn't as if he needed the reminder, he already knew it was pure crap, but Jackie had always liked it and Mrs Forman too. Besides he had his reasons for joining them to watch this today, his entrance to the living room at just this time of day hadn't been a fluke, but he wasn't about to explain himself just yet - that would be no fun at all!

"Oh, it's so unfair!" Jackie complained loudly, "I'd make such a great co-anchor and she has to know that" she gestured at the woman on the screen, "but she made such a fool out of me at the salon the other day, and it was no better when we went to the studio" she huffed, folding her arms over her chest and pouting as she pushed herself back into the couch cushions, looking every inch the stroppy teen.

"Oh sweetie" Kitty said, trying to sound comforting, "Y'know, maybe Christine was worried that if she hired you as co-anchor you'd just steal her spotlight right away from her" she said cheerily, hoping it would make Jackie happy, if only so she wouldn't be a grumpity grump around her house all afternoon!

"Y'know that might be it" the brunette exclaimed, clearly wanting to believe the theory, but her face fell again a moment later, "Oh, but she still should've given me a chance" she complained as she looked at the screen and watched Christine St George doing the job she felt she was born to do.

"Maybe you don't need her permission to be on her show" Hyde said cryptically, but Jackie only glared at him.

"Steven, what are you talking ab...?" her words died on her lips as a crackling sound on the TV caught her attention.

Three pairs of eyes watched as the screen warped and wobbled a while. When Kitty was just about to complain about the TV being broken or some such, it popped back into life, but Christine St George was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there stood Jackie, apparently unaware of the camera on her as she pretended to interview a standing lamp! Next the picture cut to scenes of Jackie's old TV show, and back and forth between various planned and secretly filmed scenes, with a music overlay. Before Jackie or Kitty had a chance to ask what the hell was going on, a voice-over started up too.

'Introducing Jackie Burkhart, the all American girl with enough style and beauty to bring new depth to the phrase...'

"'What's Up Wisconsin'" Jackie herself said with a grin right into the camera.

'Coming soon to a TV screen near you' the voice-over continued, over a still shot of a smiling Miss Burkhart, 'Now back to Christine in the studio' it added, as if this whole thing had been part of the show.

It was clear, however, to both Kitty and Jackie that this was not a usual segment of 'What's Up Wisconsin?' and though Hyde knew it too, he said not a word. He casually got up from his seat and made for the door to the kitchen as the two women on the couch shared a look. They both realised at the same moment that Steven must have had something to do with that video and Jackie in particular intended to know what and why.

"Steven!" she called as she pelted after him, catching a hold of his arm before he'd even cleared the counter on his way to the sliding door, "Steven, how did you do that?" she asked as she forced him to turn around and face her.

Happily concealing his eyes behind his usual tinted glasses, and therefore any feelings he might be unintentionally showing, Hyde made a big deal of sighing as he faced his ex-girlfriend.

"One of my Dad's contacts cut it together" he shrugged, thumbs hung in his belt loops, looking the very picture of nonchalance, "He makes music videos for a living, it's not hard, then I just sneaked in to the studio, switched a tape..." he explained as the little brunette's mouth dropped open in shock, "C'mon, Jackie, you know I'm good at this stuff" he reminded her, again making out like what he'd done was nothing but his usual pranks and crimes.

Of course, they both knew that was not what this was about. He'd done a beautiful thing for her, despite the fact Steven and Jackie had been broken up awhile and both seemed completely apathetic to the situation. He had Sam to occupy his time, she had her independence and dreams that were not supposed to include him anymore. The pair had moved on, so they said, so they appeared, and yet despite the alternate ignoring and burning each other, Steven had gone out of his way to do this sweet thing for Jackie.

"I don't understand" she admitted with shake of her head, "After everything we've been through... Why would you do that for me?" she asked, clearly completely bemused by the act of kindness from a source that was so unlikely these days.

Hell, Hyde knew he never should've done this. Even when they were dating he was hardly ever so nice to her. Still, he'd seen an opportunity to make her happy, quite the difference to taking every chance to cause her pain as he had done of late - some deliberate, some not so much. He'd done what he'd done because his feelings for Jackie never really went away and he doubted they ever would. He loved her and he knew it, but he wasn't about to admit to that right now.

"I know how much getting on that show means to you" he told her with a sigh, "Hell, you yammered on about it at me enough when we were dating" he reminded her, making her blush slightly, not just at the mention of her crazy behaviour but also the reminder of how they used to be when they were dating, the ways in which he would stop her talking and take her mind off whatever she'd been 'yammering' about...

"When you started up again last week" Hyde continued, "I knew I could do something to make you stop talking about it. Anyway, now Christine St George has to pay attention to you, right?" he said with the first genuine smile she'd seen from him in weeks.

Without a moments thought she sent that same bright grin back his way. Despite all that had happened, all he'd done, all she'd done, it didn't matter. They would always care about each other, they just couldn't find a way to stop.

"Thank you so much, Steven" she said genuinely, "You have no idea what this means to me"

"Whatever" he said, Zen as usual, as he turned to leave.

She stopped him with a hand on his arm, pulling him back around and planting a kiss on his cheek before he had a chance to protest.

"Really, thank you" she said definitely, something intense passing between them as they stood too close together for an ex-couple.

"Anything for you, doll" he said more softly than he meant to, before pulling himself away and walking on out of the sliding door.

Jackie couldn't believe he had made it possible for her big dream of stardom to potentially come true. It just went to prove that if you wished hard enough for something, it could happen. Jackie smiled at the thought of that being true for other things too. Maybe she would get the happy ever after she still dreamt of one day. Thing were certainly looking promising in that area, she said to herself as she smiled at Hyde's retreating form through the glass.

- The End -


	11. Ep 11, Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy

**A/N: Well, this one was a little bit of a stretch, but I like how it came out. Writing Leo always gives me the giggles ;-)**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Episode 11 : Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy

Hyde wasn't sure what to make of this situation. He'd found himself in more than a few weird places over the years, all kinds of trouble and all kind of problems, and he always found something smart to say, some way out. This time he was at a real loss. How the hell was he supposed to resolve the fact that his good buddy Leo seemed to have a serious crush on Donna?!

This was not something a young man should have to deal with, and ordinarily Hyde would just laugh at what he saw as a pretty decent burn and let everybody else figure it out for themselves. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, Steven Hyde had actually started caring about people. He suspected Jackie had something to do with that, but he knew deep down Donna had always mattered to him, and whilst two other prospective fathers had come and gone, Leo had... well, he'd come and gone too, but Hyde always felt that if any guy ought to have been his Dad it should've been him. Sure, he could be weird, and was almost always out of his head, but Hyde could respect that, as crazy as it sounded, and he was always good for a laugh.

"I don't know what to do next" Leo sighed as the pair sat in the office, in what barely passed for a circle given there were only two of them.

As Hyde's brain drifted off on a cloud of something special, he found himself starting to give advice and he really wasn't sure where it was coming from, since Donna would go nuts if she could hear.

"Y'know, if you really love her, you should just go for it, man" he declared definitely, "Donna's a great girl, you're a great guy. What's the problem?"

"I don't know, man" Leo shook his head, "I don't think she really likes me all that much" he said somewhat sadly, before breaking out into uncontrollable giggles, "I don't even know why I'm laughing, man" he said still chuckling away to himself as Hyde looked thoughtful once again.

"See, that's where you're wrong, Leo" he told him, "Just because they act like they don't like you, doesn't mean anything, like me and Jackie"

"Jackie?" Leo echoed, "Oh, Loud Girl!" he yelled suddenly when he realised who his friend was talking about, "Yeah, you and Loud Girl are totally for the long haul, man. Didn't you like get married or something?" he checked, looking bemused, even for Leo.

"I did get married" Hyde nodded, "just not to Jackie" he said, the sadness of the statement hitting him right between the eyes as he was forced to think about what he had done.

He'd always said he wasn't ready to get married and he'd meant it. Jackie was pushing him and that drove him crazy. He just wanted to be young and free... So why the hell did he go and marry a Vegas stripper?

"I don't get it, man" Leo shook his head, the words familiar in his mouth as they were so often spoken, "If you love Loud Girl and Loud Girl loves you, why didn't you marry her?" he checked.

"Leo, man, I don't..." Hyde began, planning to give an explanation and argument, meaning to say the idea he loved anyone was ridiculous and yet the words stuck in his throat.

He couldn't explain what he'd done, in his own head it didn't make sense. Sam was hot and she knew how to make bed-time interesting but half the time she was just so dumb it drove him crazy, and not the good kind of crazy that he had with Jackie. She was loud and brash and all, but when push came to shove he'd never loved any other woman quite like he loved her and he doubted he ever would.

Hyde could tell himself it was the drugs talking or blame Leo for pulling him into his own confused world, but it was all crap. He knew because he'd thought of all these things before and would again yet.

"Hey, its Loud Girl!" Leo's sudden exclamation, sent Hyde reeling, literally falling off his chair as he twisted around so fast to see Jackie and lost his bearings, crashing to the floor in a heap.

"Wow, that's a cool trick, man" Leo said with a grin as he went towards the door, "You got show me how to do that later" he nodded to himself as he went back into the main part of the store, leaving Hyde and Jackie alone.

"Steven, are you okay?" she asked, torn between helping him up or keeping her distance.

This was a bad habit he had, but one she'd started sharing at times so she couldn't really judge. Besides as much as she tried to hate her ex, she didn't want to think he'd broken his neck or something all in an attempt to gaze upon her beauty. He must miss being with someone as pretty and wonderful as her, she told herself, though in truth she missed him even more than she suspected he missed her.

"I'm cool" Hyde shook his head to clear it as he pulled himself to his feet, "What are you doing here?" he asked, feeling overly disorientated from both the Circle and the fall as he picked up the fallen chair he'd taken a tumble with.

"I need you to come talk to Mrs Forman for me" she told him urgently, "I need her to make more brownies for me to take to Christine St George, but she got all mad at me for lying and saying they were my brownies when they weren't, so I thought maybe if you asked her..." she rambled on loudly and to such a degree that it gave Hyde a sudden headache and he waved a hand to silence her.

"For God sakes, Jackie, slow down" he urged her as he winced at the noise she made, all the more prominent in his head after such peace and silence.

"Steven, I don't have time to slow down" she complained as she got all up in his face, "I need you to talk to Mrs Forman so that she'll bake the brownies so that Christine St George will..." the sentence she spoke disappeared into a little high-pitched squeak as Hyde got bored of her yammering and shut her up the way he always used to do when they were dating - he kissed her.

It was as if for a few moments they forgot they ever broke up, that she almost cheated with Michael, that he ran off and married Sam. Everything in the world went away the moment his lips hit hers and the pair sank into a heaven they hadn't known in so long. The need for oxygen pulled them apart too fast and then the realisation at what they'd done set in, leading to Jackie pulling back her fist and socking Hyde in the shoulder.

"Hey!" he complained, rubbing the place she'd hit.

"Oh don't you hey me, mister!" she yelled back at him, "I'm the one who should be saying hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded to know as her hand then when sub-consciously to her lips.

"I was shutting you up is all" Hyde told her as well as himself, "I just... it always worked before!" he reminded her loudly.

"Yeah, well, not anymore, Steven!" she told him, trying to angry but unable to sustain the emotion given the way he'd just made her feel with that kiss, "In case you forgot, we broke up!" she reminded him, looking more sad about it than mad right now.

As the pair stared across the office at each other, it was like they reconnected after so long of just not hearing or nor caring about each other. They were alone, they had a chance to talk this out, be it for better or worse they realised, as their eyes met.

"Why, Jackie?" Hyde asked her, staring intently at her, "Why did we really break up?" he wanted to know, "I can think of a hundred reasons but none of them really matter" he shook his head as Jackie's eyes filled with tears.

She felt the same, of course she did. None of this should ever have happened. She shouldn't have given him that ultimatum, she shouldn't've have led Michael on. By the same token, Steven shouldn't have bolted before he got an explanation and he shouldn't have gotten so drunk and married Sam. Still, he was right. At the end of the day, it didn't mean they ever stopped loving each other, deep down.

From a crack in the door, Leo watched in silence as the scene unfolded. As Hyde yelled, and Loud Girl yelled, until the anger ran out, the emotion overwhelmed them, and they ended up each others arms where they always belonged as far as he could tell.

"Hey, Leo. We need to talk" Donna said as she walked up behind him, only to be shushed and quickly moved away from the office door.

"I'm sorry, my lady" he apologised for his behaviour, "but I didn't want to disturb the lovebirds" he giggled like a school boy as they sat down together on the couch.

"Leo, we're not lovebirds" she told him awkwardly.

"Well, duh! I was talking about those two" he said with an eye-roll as he jerked his thumb back over towards the office where Jackie ad Hyde had just emerged looking very cosy.

"Huh" she said, glancing between Leo and her two friends that seemed to be getting it back together despite all that had happened, "At least one couple around here always makes sense in the end" she smiled to herself, as Leo leaned over her and made her jump when he spoke suddenly.

"Come here often?"

- The End -


	12. Ep 12, Killer Queen

**A/N: Big thanx to my awesome reviewers! Here's another episode, and one of my personal ave re-writes ;-)**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Episode 12 - Killer Queen

How Steven Hyde had ended up on the 'What's Up Wisconsin?' couch, in a tie, holding hands with his ex-girlfriend he had no idea. Well, actually, that wasn't true, he knew exactly how it had happened, he just wished he didn't.

When Jackie had burst into the basement she said she'd been looking for Fez in the hopes of convincing her room-mate to play-act as her boyfriend to save her job. Usually Hyde would just burn her and walk away, that was his system lately, since it was easier to keep her at arms length. Sometimes if he had to spend too much time around her he started to wonder about things, like what might have happened if he'd never married Sam. Since dwelling on the past never did anyone any good, Hyde didn't like to let himself think about it much. Besides, he hated to think that Jackie had weakened him in some way, actually made him feel bad about how things had turned out. After all, she was just some chick, he should be over her by now, especially since he had Sam to take his mind off things. Unfortunately, even a hot stripper wife couldn't out-do true love. Hyde hated hismelf for even having such a thought and mentally slapped himself whenever it popped into his head - which led to him worrying that he was going to give himself an internal concussion before long!

Jackie proved once again that, to this day, she could still wrap Steven Hyde around her finger with a look. Sat next to him on the couch in the basement, he tried to ignore the rambling that was clearly meant for him, despite the fact she tried to make it look like she was talking to herself. She muttered on about how she would lose her job if she couldn't find a perfect couple for Christine St George, and the only way to do that was fake it. That's what she'd wanted Fez for, but with him nowhere to be found and time running out she didn't know what she was going to do.

The sad face he could ignore, but when the tears came, Hyde lost all self-control. It was always the same, every time she got upset, he was right back to that day in the basement before his Junior Prom when she'd sobbed into his shirt and begged him to take her. He gave in then, and so many times after. In seconds he realised he was done for one more time, even after all that had happened between them. Suddenly he was agreeing to pretend to be her long-term head-over-heels-in-love boyfriend, and live on television too.

That was how they'd landed up here, sat beside Christine St George and looking like a slightly awkward loved up couple. Hyde couldn't help but think, 'if only it were this easy'. They looked and seemed as happy and together as they had a year ago, before all the fighting, before the ultimatums, before his Las Vegas wedding. Thinking did him no good, he reminded himself, wondering and fantasising, but he couldn't help himself, and by the time they were on the air he found it took very little acting to look like he was in love with Jackie because he knew categorically that he'd never stopped.

"What's Up, Wisconsin? It's time for our annual 'Fools For Love' segment and with me today is my assistant, Jackie Burkhart and her boyfriend, Steven Hyde" Christine St George told the audience, as Jackie turned towards him and smiled, a little stunned by the look in his eyes as he grinned back at her.

Either Steven was the greatest actor of all time or he was really feeling something here as he gripped her hand tighter in his and they both looked towards Christine.

"See how they look at each other? It's just the way Sonny used to look at me while Cher was in make-up" she chuckled, "So, tell us how you two met" she said, at which Jackie opened her mouth and closed it again fast.

She wasn't sure whether to tell the real story or not, or even where to begin. Did she say they met through her dating his friend first? Should she say they started out hating each other before that turned to friendship then passion then love?

"I'll take this one, doll" Steven assured her with a smile, "See, me and Jackie fought against this thing we have for a long time" he explained to Christine, as Jackie stared at him, wondering exactly what he would say, "We don't exactly seem like couple material to most people, but we have a lot in common underneath it all"

Jackie couldn't help but think how true those words were and how genuine Steven looked as he continued.

"See, Jackie was dating a friend of mine, I knew from the start they were all wrong for each other. Jackie was too smart for him, and... I don't know, man, I think maybe we fought a lot at the start because despite her princess complex, Jackie never really saw what she was worth, til I proved to her she was worth the world to me" he said as he met his gifrliend's eyes and she smiled as tears started to overcome her.

"Well, isn't that lovely?" Christine said to the audience who applauded, "I'm sure my viewers are dying to know the secret of your happiness"

"We're not happy all the time" Jackie said with sadness in her tone as she tore her eyes away from Hyde's intense gaze.

She couldn't let herself get caught up in this fairytale crap. It was just acting, after all, Steven didn't mean what he was saying, not really, he couldn't. He was married to Sam now, they were over long ago, though she had to admit she'd like to believe the lie.

"No" Hyde agreed, "but when it's good it's the best, man. I guess that's just how it is... when you love somebody" he said, catching Jackie's attention entirely once again.

"Oh, that is just adorable!" Christine gushed, clapping her hands like a crazy sea-lion, "Jackie, why don't you give this delightful man a Valentine's Day kiss!" she suggested.

The quirk in Hyde's eyebrow was a challenge, Jackie was sure of it, daring her to go along with this, to go as far as daring to kiss him. Whether what he'd said before was true or not, she was not about to look chicken in front of anybody, and she did so want to kiss him right now, so she did.

What might have been a simple peck on the lips could never be so. As soon as their lips touched Jackie and Steven both felt that familiar fire explode between them. It'd been too long, far too long since they'd gotten this close, and they didn't want to let go until they really had to.

"Whooooo! Call the fire department!" Christine looked positively giddy as she applauded the pair who were by now breathless as they parted and gazed at each other in awe of what they'd just done and felt, "You can't fake passion like that..." she continued, though the couple she spoke of barely heard a word.

Jackie and Steven only had eyes for each other, both of them knowing that somewhere beneath the relationship they'd faked for TV there existed something real still. Nostalgia for the way things used to be between them had started it, but the love they used to see in each others eyes was still there, and when they kissed it was as if they'd both come home after so long away.

There was still a long way to go if they were ever going to get back to the way things were. It wasn't as simple as a click of the fingers or a wave of a wand, so much needed to be talked through and figured out, not least Hyde's marriage and all the problems that had led to their split so many months ago. Still, they had a place to go on from, they still loved each other, and what better day to start over again than Valentine's Day?

- The End -


	13. Ep 13, Spread Your Wings

**A/N: This one took a little thinking outside of the box... Hope you like it anyway :-)**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Episode 13 : Spread Your Wings

"Don't you have any clue where you hid the bag?" Jackie asked as she and Hyde continued to search high and low in Eric Forman's bedroom.

"If I did I wouldn't need help searching for it, would I?" came the sarcastic response from across the room.

It was usual for the ex-couple to bicker and burn each other, the surprise was more that she was actually helping him out with a problem in the first place! All Jackie could say was she was bored, and also that if the Formans found Hyde's stash again the repercussions were bound to affect them all. The truth of it was more that she still cared for him, even though she didn't want to since he married a stripper and broke her heart. She cared enough she didn't want to see him thrown out of his home at least and that was why she was currently wincing as she opened and closed each drawer of the cabinet, finding abandoned underwear, a pornographic magazine, and...

"Huh" she said with a frown as she came across an envelope that bore her name, "Okay, why would Eric have left me a letter in this drawer?" she asked as she pulled the item out and stared at it.

"How should I know?" Hyde rolled his eyes, continuing to search under books and behind GI Joes a moment longer before realisation hit home, "Jackie, don't...!" he yelled, spinning around, but it was too late.

Jackie had the letter out of its envelope and was half way down the first page already. By now she would know what it was and she wouldn't give it up til she was done reading, he was sure. Steven Hyde wasn't sure what to do for the best now. Bolting seemed like a plan, but he'd have to face her eventually and it was maybe better they cleared this thing up whilst they were alone. Still, he didn't handle talking about feelings well, that was why he'd written the damn letter in the first place. He couldn't deal with all that was going on inside his head and heart, all the emotions he hadn't known he could feel til he started dating Jackie and their relationship went through ups and downs aplenty. He'd spilled his guts out on paper a few months ago on a particularly freaky trip. From that day to this he'd forgotten all about it. Now he recalled the contents of the letter Jackie held in frightening detail and wished the world would open up and swallow him.

"That letter means nothing!" he yelled the lie, pointing at the page in Jackie's hand, "I was under the influence of something very illegal and... it's nothing!"

The part about the drugs was at least true, he'd come up to Formans room one night when the folks were out and Sam was already asleep in his bed. Of course, it was complete crap to say that the words he'd written meant nothing. They both knew he was lying, that was obvious as Jackie looked over at him, then back at the page as she read aloud a particular part of the letter.

"'I don't do sorry, but I have to now. I hate that I hurt you by marrying Sam. I'm so sorry, doll, you know you mean the world to me'" she read aloud as Hyde looked at the floor, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes, wishing he could turn back time so he didn't have to do this with her now.

"This... When did you write this?" Jackie demanded to know, waving the paper around in her hand.

"A couple of days after Sam showed up" he admitted as he sat down heavily on the end of the bed, "I was trying to feel better about everything but instead of helping me get happy my stash turned on me! It, I dunno, it turned me into a girl or something" he muttered and complained, feeling stupid about all of this.

He knew Jackie couldn't love him anymore, he couldn't expect her to. Still, as much as he'd tried to tell himself he didn't care for her either, he knew that was a lie. He loved her more than he ever knew he could love anyone, and there was nothing he could do to make it stop.

"Steven" she caught his attention as she spoke his name and he glanced over at her, "if you mean these things..."

"I don't" he interrupted immediately, getting to his feet and going for the door, "I didn't, I... Jackie, it doesn't matter okay?" he yelled in frustration, "Whether I meant it or not, it's too late now" he declared, hand going to the doorknob as he made to leave her softly spoken words behind him stopped him dead in his tracks.

"What if it's not?" Jackie asked, as he turned slowly to look back at her, "I mean, it's going to take more than some dumb high letter to fix this" she admitted, "but if you really wanted to try, I... I would too" she said, voice cracking with emotion, "You know I still love you, Steven, and I can't stop" she admitted, tears filling her eyes as she gazed across at him.

It had been awful these past few weeks, they'd been so awful to each other. Jackie had convinced herself quite easily that Steven couldn't love her, what with the marrying a stripper and being so mean. She tried to convince herself she didn't love him either but no matter how many burns were tossed at each other, how many awful things they each did and said, for her the flame never died. She could hardly believe the words on the paper in her hand, but she knew Steven, better than anyone else, she was sure of it. The look on his face now as he stared at her, no glasses to hide behind, no lies left to speak, she knew he still loved her, and he was about to prove it.

Hyde cleared the space between them in two strides, pulling Jackie into his arms and kissing her soundly. It was the easiest way to react, though in the long run it would cause problems. Sticking with Sam had seemed like the smart thing, but Jackie was right. The most honest he'd ever been was when he was writing the letter his ex currently held in her hand as he took her breath away like he had so many times before.

Jackie put her arms up around Steven's neck, determined not to lose contact as she kissed him back with as much passion as he had for her. Everything was forgotten for now, all the badness of the past few months. In this moment it was as it had been in the beginning, fiery and passionate, and yet they had been through so much together, there was no doubt in either of their minds that their hearts were in this as much as their bodies.

Falling back onto the bed, even Jackie couldn't care that she was making out somewhere that Eric Forman once spent time with both Donna and at other times a certain guy's magazine. She was too engrossed in getting as close to Steven as possible, she was hardly aware of the world at all. Unfortunately, the moment didn't last as Steven manoeuvred them both further onto the bed, pushing Jackie onto something solid amongst the bedclothes.

"Ow" she yelped, pushing Hyde to one side of her as she wriggled around trying to find what was digging into her back, "What the hell is this?" she asked as she finally pulled out what appeared to be a macramé owl!

"Hey, this is what I was looking for!" Hyde grinned as he rummaged around in the owl and pulled out the brown paper bag that had started this whole thing.

"Steven?" Jackie prompted when he got more distracted from her than she'd like.

"Right" he said, throwing the owl aside, stash and all, "One thing at a time" he smiled as he pulled Jackie close and resumed kissing her, much to the brunette's delight.

- The End -


	14. Ep 14, Son & Daughter

**A/N: Loved re-writing this one, hope you enjoy reading it just as much ;-)**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Episode 14 - Son & Daughter

"Oh my God, my Dad's here" Hyde started to panic as he looked between his father's ruined Frampton guitar and his two friends behind the kitchen counter, "What am I gonna do?" he asked desperately, and Jackie felt ill.

Steven shouldn't mean a thing to her, and yet she hated to think his relationship with the first parent that really cared was about to be ruined. She may have grown up with both a mother and a father but they really didn't work too hard at raising her. Daddy had his money, his business, his friends, and her Mom was usually away and/or drunk. She knew she would give anything to find out she had a secret parent like Steven. Gross Edna and Bud were crappy as folks went, but WB was really cool and not just because he was rich - though that helped as far as Jackie was concerned.

The fact was, Steven was about to find his relationship with his father getting very difficult, and Jackie couldn't stand it. She knew how much it would hurt him, she felt his pain, better than anyone else, she was sure. Others thought he didn't care, didn't feel. Jackie was one of a very few to see the softer side of Steven Hyde, and to know how much his father really meant to him.

"Don't worry" she said quickly, cutting in front of Fez as he moved forward and opened his mouth to speak, "Steven, I can take care of this..." she started to tell him, but Hyde shook his head, waving away her words with his hand.

"It's fine, I'll just sign it myself" he said, quickly grabbing the guitar from the wall and picking up a marker pen, "I left Frampton's name on many things. I'll just leave off the 'sucks' part" he said as he scribbled a fake signature and placed the instrument back on the wall, just as WB came in.

"Hey there Steven!" he greeted his son with a grin and slap on the back, "Wow, look at this place" he said, glancing around the apartment, as Jackie's eyes flitted between her ex and his father nervously, "You know I was thinking I was gonna give you a nice cash bonus, but now I don't think I'm gonna" WB said thoughtfully.

"You're not?" Steven asked looking disappointed.

"Nope. Check this out - Eric Clapton signed this guitar" his father said proudly, showing off his latest acquisition.

"Oh my God, I love Clapton" Hyde gasped, holding out his hands for the gift he believed he was getting, only for his father to admit he'd meant to keep this guitar and instead give Steven the Frampton signed instrument.

"Actually" he said then, apparently reconsidering, "You know, I mean the store is doing great, you took care of the house really well" he smiled, "So... here" he said as he finally handed over the guitar signed by Slowhand himself

Steven looked more than a little awe-struck and yet at the same time guilty as hell. Fez couldn't stand the pressure, knowing what was coming and hating the idea of a fight ruining this beautiful father-son moment when the truth was revealed

"I have to leave" he said quickly bolting for the door and slamming it behind him.

The force of the slam had two effects, neither of which were going to lead to any good. Jackie, Hyde, and WB all looked towards the wall as the Peter Frampton guitar fell to the ground and dropped into two pieces, the neck going one way and the body the other. A moment later, their eyes shifted again as a half-dressed and hungover boy appeared from beneath the furniture and made for the door holding his head.

"Awesome party, man" he said with a lop-sided grin as he waved to Hyde and finally left.

Steven felt sick as he glanced at his father and then looked to the floor. He was in some serious trouble with WB now, and whilst he would usually relish such a moment, he had no want or need to go upsetting the father that actually trusted and liked him.

"Uh yeah" he said awkwardly, "WB, I got something kinda bad to tell you..."

"I broke your guitar" Jackie burst out, stunning both father and son as they turned as one to look at her, "I... I'm sorry but I did"

"Jackie..." Hyde tried to stop her, but the look she gave him warned him to keep his mouth shut or else as she pushed herself between him and his father, staring up at the dark and frowning man.

"So Steven had a party and you broke my Peter Frampton guitar?" he asked her, one eyebrow raised.

"You see, it's actually kind of a funny story" Jackie faked a laugh, stopping abruptly when she realised she was the only one giggling, "Yeah, so I convinced Steven to throw a party here for me. He really didn't want to, but hey, I can be pretty annoying when I want something" she shrugged, "And at the party, I was kind of acting up to the crowd and posing with your guitar and all... and then it broke" she said waving her hands around in the over-zealous way she was prone to.

WB stared down hard at the girl and then over her head at Steven who didn't react at all. It took just a few seconds til the older man himself showed any sign of emotion or gave a response to Jackie.

"Y'know, Steven" he said, though he was still looking at the girl stood between them rather than at his son, "I can accept that while I was away you disobeyed my wishes, used my house for a party and broke something that was extremely valuable to me" he smiled, glancing back at Hyde, "That just means I have a son" he said with a grin, "but the fact you let this girl get away" he shook his head as his smile turned sad, "Bad move, man. Real bad move" he said as he walked away, leaving Steven and Jackie alone.

"What the hell just happened here?" Hyde said looking baffled as he pulled off his glasses and looked around the room as if he expected an explanation to appear before him.

"I saved your sorry butt" Jackie told him, hands on her hips as she stared at him triumphantly, "And your Dad has better taste in women than you" she said smartly as she grinned up at him a moment.

Steven couldn't help the smile that found its way onto his lips as he looked back at her. She was right, just as WB had been. He had made the worst possible move letting Jackie go, and she had proved it again just a minute ago. After all they'd been through, she ought to hate him, and certainly acted like she did most of the time. Still, she'd been willing to get herself in all kinds of expensive trouble to save him and his Dad getting into a major ass fight.

"Thanks, Jackie" he said softly, and though most girls would've fought for more gratitude than that, the little brunette was satisfied with what she got, she knew it was a lot coming from Steven Hyde.

"You didn't really need me anyway" she shrugged her shoulders, "He wasn't even mad" she said, as she picked up her purse and turned her back on him as she moved towards the door.

"Doesn't mean I don't need you around" he told her back, so quietly she was stunned to realise what she'd heard, and stopped immediately in her tracks, turning back to glance at him.

"Steven..." she said warily, knowing that in spite of everything there was every chance she was about to do what may be considered the stupid thing by many and just forgive him everything.

"I know" he nodded, "I know it's not that easy but... damn it" he said sharply when he knew he wasn't going to be able it find the words he needed.

Instead he closed the space between them in two paces, pulling Jackie into his arms and kissing her soundly on the lips. He'd wondered briefly if she would fight against him, he couldn't really blame her after the way he'd behaved towards her lately, ever since the whole 'married a stripper' incident. Still, she had to feel something for him, just like he felt for her, she'd proved that today if nothing else, and did so again as her arms went up around his neck, holding him tight to her when he seemed like he was going to pull away.

She kissed him with as much enthusiasm as he had started kissing her, the feelings between them obviously as strong as ever. Of course, what he'd said was true, it wasn't this simple, and yet it felt good just to be together for a while, and not worry about the crap that needed dealing with later - namely Sam.

"Oh" WB was a little stunned by the floor show as he returned to the room a moment later, the young couple apparently completely unaware of his presence as they continued making out, "Well, I guess that's more important than the Clapton guitar, huh?" he said mostly to himself as he moved to squeeze past Hyde and Jackie.

WB was only a little surprised when one of his son's hands left Jackie's waist long enough to grab the guitar by the neck and pull it from his grasp. His grip on the neck of the Clapton-signed instrument was evidently strong, almost as tight as the hold he had on Jackie.

"That's my boy" WB said with a smile, shaking his head as he walked away, leaving the couple alone together for a while.

-The End-


	15. Ep 15, Keep Yourself Alive

**A/N: Special thanx to my two faithful reviewers - you rock! :-)**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Episode 15 - Keep Yourself Alive

"Oh, ewww! Now we have to cross a disgusting river?! " Jackie squeaked, clearly entirely unimpressed by the great outdoors at large.

As if any of the gang needed proof that the little brunette was not the rambling through the woods type, they were certainly getting plenty now whether they liked it or not. She'd done nothing but complain since they'd started their trek through the trees, searching out Mrs Forman's lost engagement ring. Still, Donna wondered vaguely if all of her frustration was really based on the woods.

Jackie and Hyde had turned their burn levels to white hot these last couple of days, mostly because they'd been forced to spend time together. The blonde herself had been kind of distracted with Randy, and Fez was always running off alone, forever leaving Hyde and Jackie alone. That had to feel awkward and weird and the pair dealt with it the only way they knew how, putting emotional distance between themselves when the physical wasn't possible, throwing insults at each other any chance they got, because it was so much easier than talking about anything real, like how they were feeling and all.

"Allow me, milady" Randy suddenly talking to her pulled Donna from her thoughts and she watched him walk over the creek and offer her his hand to assist her.

"Thank you" she smiled as she took the offered hand and followed, walking away as quickly as possible right after, arm in arm with Randy.

Though she was eager to be alone with her guy, mostly Donna just wanted to leave Jackie and Hyde alone some more. As painful as it was to hear them yelling and hurting each other, eventually they would run out of bad things to say. When that happened, they would have to face up to what they were really feeling, and in that moment Donna held out hope that something magical might just happen. Jackie and Hyde belonged together, she was certain of it, no matter what the ex-couple themselves thought about it.

"Uh, wait! How am I supposed to get across?" the little brunette called behind her friend, only to find herself ignored.

"Come across like you always do" Hyde shrugged his shoulders, "Real bitchy" he smirked annoyingly as Jackie refused to look at him and tried to figure out how she was going to get across this damn river without killing herself, or at the very least getting soaked.

"You know what? Even when we were dating, you never did the gentlemanly thing" she snapped, partially hoping that might at least shame him into wanting to assist her.

Jackie wasn't about to ask Steven to help her out, that just wasn't going to happen. It would be like admitting she needed him for something, and she refused to need or want him for anything. Of course, she knew even as she thought that it was a lie. She would always need him and want him and love him. Still, she wouldn't be telling him any time soon, no way, no how, not after the way he'd treated her.

"Alright, fine" Hyde sighed, checking his footing and then holding out his hand to her, "Give me your hand"

"Uh, no!" she said definitely, flinching away, "I am not touching that hand. You have been burping in that hand all day" she said with a shake of her head, though honestly that was not the reason.

They really hadn't come into contact much since their break up and Jackie knew only too well what might happen if they started now. Holding hands, even briefly, could lead to badness. She would have to get close to him, might literally fall into his arms. If their eyes met she wouldn't be able to stand it, and if he got too close the yearning inside her would make her want to kiss him.

"Come on" his sharp tone knocked her out of dreamy thoughts, "You've touched grosser things than this. You went out with Kelso for four years" he reminded her, a little bitterness in his voice as he mentioned the time when his ex used to date his friend.

Hyde knew it was dumb to even care that Jackie dated Kelso before or after she dated him. Nothing ought to matter where she was concerned anymore, but it did. Even though he was married now, even after all the shocking burns he and Jackie tossed back and forth between them, he could no more hate her than he could fly.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Jackie asked then, her words jolting Hyde from his thoughts and making him aware of the fact he'd been staring at her at all.

"I'm waiting for you to give me your hand and get your ass across this damn creek" he snapped, though even he knew his supposed anger wasn't all that convincing.

"Fine" Jackie said flatly, taking the offered hand and immediately feeling the little electric buzz she always used to get when they touched.

Trying to keep her breathing even and her eyes averted, Jackie had no idea that Hyde felt just as weird being close to her, as she manoeuvred herself across the creek. Unfortunately, her movement caused the both of them to shift and lose their balance at the same time. With a yell and a scream, the pair went tumbling onto the other side of the creek, Hyde's arms wrapping around Jackie as he turned his body under hers, the natural reaction in an attempt to save her from injury. They landed with a thud, their arms tight around each other still as they fought to get their bearings.

"Well that could've worked out better" Hyde considered as he shifted on the ground, the muscles in his back complaining at the hard landing, and completely different muscles reacting to the warm little body wriggling on top of him.

As the shock of the landing subsided, Jackie gazed down into the eyes of Steven Hyde and forgot everything - how cold she was, where she was, and most importantly why she was supposed to hate her ex.

"Could have worked out better, how?" she asked, her tone soft and her breath in his face as she remained with her body pressed into his.

"I dunno" Steven admitted with a slight shake of his head, as one hand travelled up Jackie's back to her head and pulled her into a deep kiss.

It was her first instinct to pull away, after all this was not a sensible thing to be doing, kissing her now-married ex. Unfortunately, when it came to Steven Hyde, Jackie didn't always use the sensible part of her brain. Love wasn't reasonable or smart, but it was deep and real, especially that which clearly still existed between this couple. Who would be first to admit what they were feeling when this moment was over, that was unclear, but both Jackie and Hyde knew that they'd be keeping their lips firmly sealed when it came to admitting that their own fall from the rocks was entirely staged...

~ The End ~


	16. Ep 16, My Fairy King

**A/N: So, Jackie's list about her perfect man was about Fez? No way, man! It has to be about Steven Hyde! ;-)**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Episode 16 - My Fairy King

"So, have you decided what you are gonna do about Sam?" Donna asked Hyde as she bounced the basketball in front of him then took a shot at the hoop at the end of the driveway.

"I don't know, man" her friend said thoughtful as he caught the ball from out of the net, "I mean, on one hand, she kept a massive secret from me, I don't think I can ever trust her again" he considered, "On the other hand, I'm just a small town burn-out with two stints in juvvie. Who am I to judge?" he shrugged, moving to take his own shot at the basketball hoop and missing by miles - his mind was clearly not on the game.

"You know you shouldn't settle for Sam if you don't really love her" Donna called behind him as he jogged away to fetch the ball back.

The incredulous look on his face when he returned would've been amusing if she didn't know it was entirely fake.

"Love?" he echoed, as if the word were foreign to him, "I don't love, Pinciotti, you know this" he said firmly, though she noticed he couldn't look her in the eye when he said it, and she knew why.

"Remember who you're talking to, moron" she said, taking the ball out of his hands before he could use it as a distraction to her serious conversation, "You're as bad a liar about how you feel as Jackie" she told him with frustration in her tone, "and believe me, she tried really hard today!"

_Flashback_

"Okay, okay! Stop everything!" Jackie yelled as she came bolting from her bedroom to find Donna on the couch alone

It was a little disappointing to find that Fez and Hilary had left at some point, making the audience for her announcement so small, but Jackie could deal.

"I've finished my perfect man list!" she said cheerily, passing a piece of paper to her friend.

The blonde sighed, clearly aggravated at having to exchange her interesting magazine for this stupid idea that Jackie had. Still, they were friends and if the little midget thought she needed a list of 'perfect' qualities to help her find the man of her dreams, then so be it.

"Jackie" she said after a while, a smile coming over her face that she really had not expected this piece of paper to cause, "Have you realised who fits almost every single thing on your list?!" she checked, smile becoming a grin as she turned on the couch to face her friend.

"Elvis, right?" Jackie nodded knowingly, "Yeah, but he's dead, Donna, so..."

"No" Donna interrupted with a shake of her head, "I'm talking about Hyde" she explained, as Jackie's eyes went comically wide at the very idea.

"What?!" she squeaked, ripping the paper back from her friends hands and reading through it once more.

This couldn't be right. After everything that had happened, after all they'd been through, there was simply no way her perfect man had become Steven. Years ago when she'd done this once before, her ideal mate for life would've been Prince Charming... or maybe Elton John. Now her standards were so low her hearts desire truly was Steven Hyde? Jackie couldn't stand it.

"Hey, you wrote the list, and the list don't lie" Donna said definitely, "And your ideal man is Steven Hyde" she declared, even as Jackie glared at her.

"That is almost as ridiculous as you looking in the mirror and thinking this outfit works" she said in true bitch fashion, though honestly it wasn't Donna she was mad at.

Partly, Jackie was angry at herself, for making a list that proved what her heart already knew and yet was trying to deny. She was also mad at Steven for ever making her fall in love with his lower class self, but she just couldn't help it.

"You still love Hyde! You still love Hyde!" Donna sang childishly, not helping Jackie at all as she stared unseeing at the list in her hands and thought of her ex.

He was hot, he was kind to her for the most part when they were dating, he was sweet and thoughtful when no-one was looking, and he had loved her, she knew it. She'd loved him too, but it was all too late now. Whether her feelings remained or not, it was unlikely his did, and she couldn't take the risk of asking... could she?

"Okay look" she relented just a little, "Just because Steven matches up with a few things on my list doesn't mean he is the perfect match for me. I mean we can't be together, we hate each other now!" she declared, protesting just a little too much, "We're like those people from that old book we read at school - Pride & Prejudice"

"Um, Jackie" Donna said with a look that wasn't encouraging to her friend, "No wonder you flunked English if you never finished the book" she said with a smirk, "Elizabeth and Darcy got married at the end of Pride and Prejudice" she pointed out as Jackie looked bemused.

"Huh"

_Flashforward_

"Huh" Hyde's reaction was so similar to what Jackie's had been it was almost creepy to Donna as she stood opposite him in the driveway still clutching the basketball to her body.

"So, now what?" she asked, even as Hyde looked everywhere but at her, "Stay with Sam for the sake of having somebody? Or get back together with the one woman you actually loved in your life?" she laid the choices out there before her friend, hoping he made the right one as she bounced the ball into his hands and walked away towards her own house.

Hyde barely noticed her going and caught the basketball entirely on instinct. Donna had certainly given him something to think about. The thought of Sam walking out of his life, it kind of hurt. Not that he would miss her so much as he would miss having someone. Hyde figured a lot of the pain she'd cause him was actually borne out of embarrassment. She'd made him look a fool and nobody wanted to feel that way. Would he truly miss her when she was gone? As much as he would miss Jackie if he thought he would never see her again?

Red was starting to wonder if Hyde was hopped up on dope when he came out through the sliding door and found him staring into nothingness, the basketball clutched in his hands still. Walking right past the boy, he put the trash in the can and then headed back to the kitchen, without Hyde so much as blinking. Stood before him, he opened his mouth to ask the dumbass what the hell was wrong when suddenly an insane grin came over Steven's face.

"Hey, Red," he grinned, "if you see Sam could you tell her to have a nice life, because I plan to" he said, tossing the ball to Mr Forman who caught it easily, "with Jackie" Hyde added, still smiling widely as he walked backwards down the drive, suddenly turning and hurrying from the house.

"Good for you, son" Red smiled too, as he glanced up at the hoop across the driveway, took aim and scored a basket with very little effort at all.

Down the street, Hyde's mind was racing faster than even his feet were going as he headed for Fez and Jackie's apartment. He actually only got to the end of the street before he turned a corner and ploughed straight into the girl he'd been going in search of.

"Jackie-"

"Steven-"

The couple spoke over each other, not once but twice, going so far as to say the exact same thing next.

"I was just on my way to see you..." they both smiled when they realised what they'd done.

It was crazy, both had a plan of what they meant to say and do when they saw each other. They realised now more than ever how much they still loved each other, thanks to Donna, and yet faced with each other all sensible thoughts and words went away. This was why they'd spent so long avoiding the issue, burning each other like the stupid kids they were prone to be. It was so much easier than facing up to anything real.

"So, er, I was talking to Donna..." Steven said eventually, shuffling his feet awkwardly.

"Yeah, me too" Jackie nodded, feeling equally as nervous suddenly, "Crazy giant was being so stupid today, she actually suggested that I still had feelings for you" she laughed, though they both knew it was as fake as Donna's blonde hair.

"Yeah, she tried that with me too, saying I still love you" Hyde told her, laughing in a similarly false way at the apparent joke, despite the fact this ought to be a serious conversation, "It's crazy"

What should have been a throwaway phrase had a decidedly more questioning tone as Hyde looked across at Jackie and she looked back at him.

"Yeah, crazy" she echoed, her voice too soft to her own ears she realised as her gaze locked with Steven's own and time stood still.

'To hell with this' was clearly the thought in both their minds as they gave into the feelings that they never should have tried to hide, their arms wrapping around each other as they finally kissed.

Of course they still loved each other. Jackie's list was always going to say Steven was her perfect man. Steven was always going to care more about Jackie than his skanky stripper wife. Some things were so obvious that you missed them entirely, so it was a good thing that those on the sidelines could see it and help you out from time to time.

- The End -


	17. Ep 17, Crazy Little Thing Called Love

**A/N: This fic series is offically off hold, thanks to kezztip's awesome story, Steven Who?, which totally got me back in the mood for writing T7S fic :-)**

_**(See disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Episode 17 - Crazy Little Thing Called Love

"Hey. So, uh, I hear you like Fez" Hyde said as casually as he could manage, good enough it seemed that Jackie didn't notice he was the least bit bothered, on the contrary most of her reaction seemed to be made up of shock that he even knew of her latest crush.

"How did you hear that?!" she demanded to know, assuming up to now that only Donna knew her shameful secret.

"Since we weren't trapped in a sound-proofed lead box, we were able to hear your delicate voice from across the street" Randy told her with a smile, finding her outrage quite amusing.

"Look, I know you guys probably think I'm crazy and I'm going from guy to guy" the little brunette sighed, "but Fez has always been there for me and he makes me feel good about myself" she said, not sure if she was trying to convince her friends, her ex, or just herself of what she was saying, "So go ahead! Go make fun of me" she said in defeat, with no other direction to go in at this point.

"No, man, that's cool" Steven said, surprising Jackie to no end as she turned wide eyes upon him, "Fez is a good guy. I think if he'd make you happy, that's what you should do" he shrugged his shoulders, Zen as ever behind his dark glasses.

"Wow" Jackie's surprise was genuine at his calm reaction, if not a little disappointed that he really didn't seem to care at all, "Steven, thanks" she said anyway, trying to be strong, a resolve that would crumble in seconds when her ex spoke again.

"And if it doesn't work out, I hear Bob is available" he said with a wicked smirk on his lips, "and if that's no good, here comes the garbage man! Oh and hey, there's a garden gnome across the street you haven't done" he continued, even as her eyes filled with tears.

The second he noticed how upset he was making her, Steven Hyde felt sick, but he carried on regardless until she bolted away towards the house. He didn't want to feel guilty that he hurt her, he wanted to find her behaviour equal parts slutty and amusing, but he didn't, he couldn't. Before Donna had a chance to call him a dillhole or similar, Hyde was pushing past his friends and running after Jackie to see if she was okay. He headed for the basement steps and caught sight of her just as she swung through the door. She was face down in the couch cushions sobbing as he entered the room.

"Hey, come on, Jacks" he said as he perched on the arm of the couch, "You used to be able to take a joke..." he told her, trying to sound like he didn't care even now because it ought to be easier, as he reached out a hand to her shoulder.

Her head shot up from the couch and she glared at him, jerking her her body away from his touch. She didn't want to get close to him, it would only make her feel worse. Jackie hated that she was showing any emotion over his stupid comments, but she just couldn't help it.

"Well, maybe I don't find it funny that you think I'm some kind of slut, Steven!" she snapped at him, sitting up straight in the middle of the couch now, her head turned away from him still as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"C'mon, man, I didn't..." Hyde began, only to realise mid-sentence that he couldn't continue, because he had said that, or at least implied it heavily, "Look, I didn't mean it the way it sounded" he tried instead, "I just..."

"You just what, Steven?" Jackie yelled as she turned angry eyes upon him once again, "Just wanted to hurt me, because that's what you did!" she told him, even though she'd rather not have him know he was still able to do such a thing.

She couldn't really believe he wanted to hurt her so badly, not after everything. He was the one who knew how to really wound her, as much as she knew how to get to him. They exchanged burns regularly but never about anything real, not till today. It had been an unspoken rule as far as Jackie was concerned, hence her question about really trying to cause her pain.

"Yes" was the answer that stunned the little brunette to the core as she stared at him, mouth dropping open in shock, "Yes, maybe I did want to hurt you" Steven told her as he moved to get up off the end of the couch and paced uncomfortably in the small space, "because... because you're hurting me!" he said at last, like an explosion of emotion he'd been holding it too long, "Jackie, do you really want to be with Fez or are you just trying to make me feel worse?!" he asked her loudly and in complete frustration over the whole thing.

"Oh, you are so fat-headed!" Jackie declared, getting to her feet to better get in his face, even if she was a little short, "I can't believe that you..." she continued, stopping fast as she realised something, "Hang on a second, feel worse?" she echoed words he had spoken, that Steven wished she hadn't heard and certainly hadn't repeated.

"What?" he asked with a look that suggested she was stupid, even though he knew she'd picked up on the one valid thing he'd said here today.

Of course he felt bad about their break-up, he was astounded that she would think he didn't, but then he'd hardly been acting like he cared much. Hyde put on a good show, played the part of the aloof and uncaring asshole so well it had become second nature to do it. Beneath layers of cold hard reserve laid a heart that for a long time belonged to Jackie Burkhart. Truth be told, it still kind of did.

"Why would you even care if I wanted to be with Fez or anyone?" she asked, all up in his face, challenging him to make a confession.

"Hey, I don't care!" came the knee-jerk reaction from Steven that she ought to have expected, but the hesitation that followed was perhaps more of a surprise, "I don't... well..." he looked uncertainly down into her fiery eyes that softened the moment she realised he was as confused as she was right now.

"Steven" she breathed, all the fight going out of her in a moment it seemed, "Do you... do you still have feelings for me?" she asked him.

"No!" said Hyde's mouth, even as the voice in his brain contradicted it, as did the look on Jackie's face, "Well, like you don't still have feelings for me too!" he challenged her, "This whole thing with Fez is a joke, man" he told her too loudly, stepping away from her for as he waved an arm in a random gesture of frustration, "You're just going for the nearest guy that compliments you to make yourself feel better!" he told her crossly, expecting an argument - he didn't get one.

"I know" Jackie dropped her eyes to the floor, hanging her head almost ashamedly, "You're right" she admitted, eyes darting up to meet his a moment before returning to the ground.

"I am?" he said with a look before straightening up and nodding his head, "I mean, yeah, I am" he repeated with more certainty, despite the fact she had genuinely surprised him.

"Yes, Steven, you are right" Jackie confirmed, "but so am I" she declared, getting a little confidence back as she realised it, "I'm not the only one here trying to hide what I really feel" she said, pointing a definite finger at him, "...am I?" she added, not really meaning to make it a question, but unable to keep her resolve as she stared across at him.

Maybe she just wanted him to feel the way she did, maybe it wasn't real at all. In the space of a few minutes she'd realised her supposed attraction to Fez was all a rebound reaction to being lonely. She ought to have known that when Donna was asking her if her feelings were real, if she really wanted to go on dates with Fez and kiss Fez and all. She'd started to feel nauseous as she thought about it too much. She loved to be loved, and her friend and room-mate made her feel good about herself. The idea of actually being with him romantically, it did nothing for Jackie but make her wonder if she was crazy. The moment Steven burnt her about being a whore, she knew for sure she would never get over him. He couldn't hurt her so much if she no longer cared about him or his opinion. She'd denied so long that she still loved him and she was tired of trying. Now she just had to wait and see if he felt the same. The wait that was only a few seconds, felt like hours, until...

"I need a drink" Steven said, surprising her just a little as he moved and opened the back door, before glancing back, "You in?" he asked, holding out a hand to the tear-stained young woman, a lop-sided kind of a smile on his face that she found infectious suddenly.

"I'm in" she nodded once, putting her hand into his, a perfect fit just like always.

The pair left the basement together, hand in hand, to go get that drink they both felt they needed. Of course, they were both very aware that their agreement was on much more than a trip to the nearest bar, but that was a conversation for later. For now they both knew all they needed to, an unspoken promise for a bright future, just as soon as they grasped each others hand and smiled.

- The End -


	18. Ep 18, We Will Rock You

**A/N: I'm still determined to finish this series... I think I just get a little sloppy with it because I'm pretty sure only two, maybe three, people are still reading it. Oh well, for those peoples, here's another one ;-)**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Episode 18 - We Will Rock You

"What do you guys have against disco?! It's the only thing white people can dance to!" Jackie bellowed from her place beside the would-be bonfire of records.

Hyde couldn't help but smile at the sight of her, all righteous and indignant in her yelling. At least she stood up for what she believed in, even if it was the complete opposite to his own ideas. He had to respect that on some level, had to love her still too but he was admitting to neither right now. She had almost wrecked his bonfire tonight by calling the cops and for that at least he wanted revenge. Hurting her seemed stupid when he knew he still loved her so much, but he was drunk and constantly telling himself she deserved it, because why shouldn't she be in pain when he was.

"Hey, Jackie. I was thinking of a way to get back at you, for calling the cops and all" he told her, "And then it hit me. You're only here to get with Fez. So I figured, why not find the skankiest, sluttiest, drunkest chick here, give her three more beers, and then introduce her to Fez" he smirked, on the outside quite proud of the fact that pain passed across her face, on the inside dying a little because of what he was doing to her.

"Oh, you wouldn't!" she said angrily, fire flashing in her eyes that he missed too much lately.

"Oh, I already did" he argued, and back and forth it went til the truth of the matter was revealed.

Fez staggered over, his arm around the very skank Hyde had mentioned, a grin on his face that was usually only seen at the candy store.

"It's fantastic!" he declared, "Every time I say 'disco sucks', Kelly sticks her tongue down my throat!" he chuckled, "Watch: disco sucks!" he told the girl beside him who immediately obliged by kissing him with such force the pair of them almost fell down, "It's like a magic trick" he said when they were forced to part for air, and the odd couple staggered away once again.

"Huh" Jackie said as she stared after them.

She felt weird, mostly because she'd just realised that where Fez was concerned she really didn't feel anything. All this time she'd been thinking she should give it up and be with the little foreigner already, but seeing him with other girls wasn't really bothering her at all, other than the fact she was disgusted to see any friend of hers with a whore like that.

"What? Aren't you gonna run off after them and tell Fez he has to be with you and marry you and all that crap you used to tell me" Hyde asked, waving his hand in a random gesture as he knocked back the rest of his beer and got himself another.

"I don't care" Jackie said then, stunning herself as much as anyone as her eyes remained fixed on Fez and his soon-to-be conquest, disappearing into the distance, "It should hurt, right?" she checked, as she spun to face her semi-drunk ex, "Seeing Fez and that skank making out but... I didn't feel anything" she frowned in confusion as she looked to Steven for some kind of explanation.

It didn't make sense. It had almost killed her, and had definitely broken her heart to see her previous boyfriend make out with his new wife before. Now she was supposedly in love again and yet seeing Fez with Kelly had little to no effect.

"So, you don't like Fez?" Hyde checked, almost as confused by this turn of events as she was, and maybe even a little glad too.

It wasn't that Fez was a bad guy as such, but Jackie didn't belong with a guy like him. She was too good for the foreigner who was really only interested in how many women he could get into bed. Sure the odd couple had stuff in common, but Hyde figured that was just because Fez bordered on... well, being a likely candidate for a member of the Village People.

"I don't know" Jackie shook her head, apparently beyond confused right now as she glanced between Fez's retreating form and Steven Hyde who stood beside her still, "Maybe I just..." she considered, stopping half way through the sentence when she realised she couldn't say it, couldn't make herself so vulnerable again by admitting how she really felt.

Grabbing the beer from Steven's hand she downed the whole cup in one, very nearly making herself sick. Still, she hoped the alcohol could make her confident enough to speak what her heart felt, what she had just realised she always felt.

"Hey, that's eight bucks, man!" Hyde told her somewhat angrily, but his expression and tone changed a moment later as he noticed how pale she looked, "Jackie, are you feeling okay?" he checked and she nodded slowly, looking up at him.

"Yeah, I... I just realised something" she told him, making Hyde just a little nervous, though he hid it well.

"Is it that disco sucks?" he asked, almost afraid of what she was actually going to say.

If it was that she really was in love with Fez, it might just kill him. If it was that she still wanted him, well, he couldn't imagine that was really going to happen, but... Hyde's thought process was cut short as he suddenly realised his arms were full of the soft warm body of his ex, her lips on his as she kissed him like it was going out of style. It felt familiar and good, and though he knew, even in his beer-fogged brain, that it was probably a bad idea, Hyde couldn't help but kiss her back, holding her tight against him until they were forced to part for air.

"Oh, Steven" she breathed, glad he was holding her so tight, sure she would be a heap on the floor by now otherwise, "I'm not over you" she admitted, knowing that it was true, even if it was only the alcohol making her brave enough to say it.

Standing there holding her in his arms, gazing down into her hopeful eyes, it was like falling in love all over again for Steven Hyde.

"This might be the beer talking" he admitted, even though he doubted that was true, "but me too" he told Jackie, before dipping his head to kiss her again.

Maybe when the pair of them were sober they'd feel different, the thought ran through both their heads, but deep down they both knew they still wouldn't want to be anywhere but in each others arms.

Differences in music taste be damned, this was love, and that'll rock anybody's world.

- The End -


	19. Ep 19, Sheer Heart Attack

**A/N: Thanx to those still reading and reviewing. We're headed for an end people, but stay with me, because its all gonna be good :-)**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Episode 19 - Sheer Heart Attack

"Jackie, what was that kiss all about?" Fez asked, a bag of ice still pressed to his face where Caroline had attacked him.

Today was proof, if proof were needed, that he really did not understand women at all. He'd thought he knew his room-mate pretty well, and he'd reckoned on Caroline being the love of his life. Once again he was proved so very wrong when Jackie suddenly kissed him and Caroline made him pay for his supposed betrayal.

"Fez it's something that I wanted to do for a really long time" the little brunette beside him explained in a rush, "And I was wondering, y'know, hoping, that maybe you and I could be together" she said quickly, not sure why this was so embarrassing and awkward.

She was finally telling the guy she loved that she wanted to be with him, it should be a perfect moment, but something didn't feel right. As Fez looked stunned she felt just the same, a little surprised that this was her life now, that she had come to this.

"Fez, my life has been so crappy lately that you have been the one good thing" she justified what she was saying as best she could, though she knew the moment the words had left her mouth they were wrong.

"So you want me because you're lonely?" he asked her, "Great, so that makes me what, your last resort?"

"No, Fez, you're wrong, it's not..." she shook her head, before he even had a chance to interrupt her, she knew she was fighting a losing battle - she didn't really want Fez, not like this, and he knew it too.

"You know what Jackie? I'm not mad" he told her quickly, waving away her worries on that score as he set his ice pack on the coffee table and turned on the couch to better face her, "but also, _I_ am not stupid" he explained, "_you_ are"

"What?!" Jackie squeaked in astonishment at what he was saying now.

"Oh, sweet princess" Fez sighed, "how wonderful I used to think it would be if you would choose Fez to be your prince, but no" he shook his head, "You belong with Hyde, any idiot can see that!" he told her, as if she was the dumbest person on the planet, something that Jackie did not take kindly to!

"Fez, no" she shook her head violently, "I don't want to be with Steven" she told him firmly, "he's... he's scruffy, and stupid, and... and..."

"And you love him!" Fez yelled at her, knowing he was right and sure she knew it too deep down, he just had to get her to admit it, "Jackie, it is so obvious that you never got over him and I know he still loves you too" he continued, "he just got all distracted by the stripper, which by the way is easy to do!" he sympathised at least a little with his friend for the way he'd treated Jackie, any man would.

Jackie herself could hardly believe what was being told, mostly because deep in her heart she knew every word Fez said was true. Telling him she liked him and wanted to be with him felt wrong from the moment she started. Now he was making her think about Steven and the way she used to feel about him, the way she still felt truth be told. Yes, it felt right to think of being back with her ex, to imagine herself in his arms, being held tight, being kissed and... She still loved him, Jackie knew she did, however pointless it might be.

So lost in thought was she, Jackie barely heard a knock on the door, hardly noticed Fez getting up from the couch and going over to see who had come visiting. She got a surprise when she suddenly realised Steven was stood a few feet away, and an even bigger shock when Fez suddenly ran out of the door, locking it behind him.

"What the hell...?!" her ex looked as astounded as she was as they both hurried towards the door.

"Fez, what are you doing?" Jackie demanded to know.

"Somebody has to do something!" he called through the door, "You two need to talk and kiss and makeup already, so just do it, or I will never let you out!" he threatened.

"Fez, man, you open this door or I swear I'm gonna break it down" Hyde told him angrily, though his threat was met with silence and he took no action still, "This is insane" he declared, moving away from the door, fists clenching and unclenching, "I came here to borrow some plastic baggies is all, I didn't ask to get locked in here with you!" he told Jackie, as he turned angry eyes upon the girl in question.

"Hey, this wasn't my idea, Steven!" she yelled back at him, "But Fez has got it into his stupid foreign head that... that I still love you" she told him, the anger and indignation dropping out of her voice as she made her admission with her eyes - she couldn't say Fez was wrong and Hyde knew it.

He didn't say a word, honestly didn't know what to say or how. Jackie still loved him, he ought to have known it before but it was clear as crystal now as she gazed across at him. He wanted to be angry, in fact more than that he wanted to be Zen and just not care, but he couldn't. The only thing he was less able to do than be nonchalant was verbalise anything that was going on his head.

"Steven" Jackie breathed, hoping against hope that the softening of his expression was a positive reaction to what she'd said before, "I know you probably don't want to hear it, that you don't feel the same, or you won't want to tell me if you do" she started rambling in spite of her best efforts not to, "Steven, I don't care. I'm sorry, but I have to tell you how I feel, I have to admit to myself and you that I do still love you and I don't know how to stop. I have been so stupid, I can't..."

At last her bunch of run-on sentences was cut off as Hyde grabbed her by the upper arms and pulled her to him, crushing his lips to hers. Startled at first, it didn't take Jackie long to respond, her arms going up around Steven's neck, holding him close as she could get him as their kiss went on and on.

"Jackie? Hyde?" Fez called as he let himself back into the apartment, almost afraid the two had killed each other.

He was actually pleasantly surprised by the sight that met his eyes. It was kind of nice for a minute there, to make believe Jackie wanted him, but deep down he knew the truth. Jackie Burkhart belonged with Steven Hyde, and now they were back together all was right with the world.

- The End -


	20. Ep 20, Leaving Home Ain't Easy

**A/N: So yeah, best way to get people to read the story is to update it, and by now I'm pretty sure nobody is reading this anymore, but I am determined to get to the end of the season so here's the twentieth ep.**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Episode 20 - Leaving Home Ain't Easy

"Fez, you completely ruined my hair!" Jackie bellowed at her room-mate, appearing from the bathroom with a green mess on top of her head.

"You destroyed my car!" came Fez's rebuttle as Hyde acted as audience-of-one to the fight and smirked at the fun of it all.

"I had every right to destroy your car, you turned me down!" Jackie continued to yell.

"You turned me down like a million times and I never did anything!" Fez reminded her, making Hyde frown slightly.

"Actually I remember a lot of crying..." he recalled, each and very time his foreign friend got rejected.

"Yes, I cried!" he seemed comfortable to admit it, "Because I have feelings, unlike you Jackie!" he said, spinning from facing one friend to another.

"Oh, I have feelings" she said, trying not to be hurt by the harsh words from the man she'd thought for a while there she could love, "And they told me to buy a bottle of spray paint and tell the whole world that you have a tiny…"

"It's normal sized!" Fez interrupted loudly, as Hyde's eyes dodged between the two of them like a ping-pong match, "Well, you know what, I'm glad I turned you down!" Fez told Jackie angrily, "Because you are a mean, bitter girl, and now, you're ugly on the outside like you are ugly on the inside!"

Fez had expected some bitchy comment back from Jackie, maybe even a kick in the shins for his trouble. What he never for a moment contemplated was the fist that struck him across the face, knocking him to the ground with ease.

"Steven!" Jackie yelped as she watched her potential boyfriend drop like a felled tree thanks to a punch from her ex.

She crouched down at Fez's side, checking he was okay - the poor guy barely knew what hit him, except that it seemed to be connected to Hyde. Honestly, Steven himself wasn't sure what had come over him. He'd heard Jackie being insulted, saw the pain cross her face at the barb, and his natural reaction was just to lash out at the person who would dare to do such a thing. This was Fez, his friend for years, and Jackie wasn't his girlfriend anymore, he'd been throwing burns at her these past weeks himself and she'd been firing them back just as easily. He shouldn't have been affected by any of this and yet he got the weirdest flashback as Jackie leapt back to her feet and faced him with surprise and a little anger on her features.

"Steven, what just happened?" she demanded to know, though he was pretty sure she was having the same flashback as he was when their eyes met.

In a split-second it was Veterans Day '77, the barbecue at the Formans place, and Jackie's date Chip called her a bitch behind her back, only for Hyde to knock him out with one perfect blow to the chin. What followed was the couples first date, first kiss, first lie as they told each other the whole thing was nice enough but ultimately meant nothing. They'd come so far, grown up so much, and yet here they were again, same situation, locked in the same kind of moment as before.

"Jackie" Hyde said then, feeling stupidly young and stupid about what he was about to say, but knowing he had to do it anyway, "You shouldn't be with a guy like Fez" he shook his head, "You... you should be with me"

Staring across at him, even through his tinted glasses, Jackie could read the emotion on his face. This wasn't an elaborate burn or a trick, not even a dream, though she'd had a few like this lately. No, this was as real as anything that had ever happened between her and Steven Hyde, and she felt the emotion of the moment like a lightening strike through her body as he gazed at her, waiting for any kind of response.

It was unlike Jackie Burkhart to run out of words, but maybe she'd just come to learn that some times actions were more important. Perhaps it was Hyde himself that had taught her that during their relationship, as twisted and complicated as it was. With a feint smile on her lips, she literally stepped over Fez where he lie still on the ground, and straight into the arms of the man she knew she had always loved, pressing her lips to his in a perfect kiss.

"That is so beautiful" Fez said with a smile that made his face throb, but he meant every word.

It was worth the bruising he would have to suffer, Fez thought, to see two of his best friends back together.

- The End -


	21. Ep 21, Love Of My Life

**A/N: Hey, people are still reading - yay! :-) I always appreciate feedback, especially as we near the end of this series, you guys are keeping me going ;-) All these eps where Jackie got with Fez have been tricky to fix, but hopefully you'll enjoy this one...**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Episode 21 - Love Of My Life

Torn didn't even begin to describe how Jackie felt as she stood in the Formans basement, a bewildered look on her face. To her right was Fez's friend, Anthony, telling her that her possible new boyfriend was about to leave America. To her left, the backdoor swung closed with a thud, where her ex-boyfriend, Steven Hyde, had just left, apparently going through some kind of trauma since he was renouncing the Circle and taking up jogging amongst other things. Something was badly wrong with him and Jackie needed to know what so she could help him...

"Are you listening to a word I'm bloody saying?!" Anthony demanded to know then, a little stunned as Jackie shook her head in the negative and made for the door.

"Please tell Fez I'm sorry that I can't be with him" she said quickly, "I made a mistake in thinking he was the one. I do love him, as a friend, and I hope he doesn't leave but... I'm sorry, I have to go" she explained all in a rush before bolting up the steps and leaving the door swinging violently in her wake.

Jackie really had no idea where Hyde would be right now. She hurried down the street, checking in the windows of The Hub and any other places he might have ended up. She wasn't sure how long she wandered around Point Place searching Steven out, only that she needed to find him and couldn't. She soon found herself outside of Grooves and let herself in when she saw Leo and Donna inside.

"Is Steven here?" she asked them, looking just a little panicked.

"No, but we're waiting for him" Donna told her, wondering at how worried her friend looked about Hyde's condition, after all they seemed to despise each other so much lately, "Jackie, he's given up the Circle and he's changed so much" she told her, not bothering to continue since it would appear from the look on her face that the little brunette already knew.

"I talked to him before" she nodded, "Donna, we have to help him, he's not himself at all" she said desperately, "He was being polite and clean and... Donna, he went jogging!" she exclaimed like a crazy person.

"Oh, man, that's just not like Hyde at all" Leo chimed in, stating the obvious as he so often did, "We have to talk to him, dudes"

"He's right" Donna nodded once, "It's time for an intervention"

"Oh it's time for more than that" Jackie said, more to herself than anyone else as she moved to pull herself up onto the counter.

There she sat and waited in silence with Donna and Leo to face her ex, to help him face his demons somehow, and perhaps to face one or two of her own.

_A half hour later..._

"Hey, guys. What's going on?" Hyde asked as he came into Grooves at last, apparently a little surprised to find his old friend, his employee/friend, and his ex-girlfriend sat around in the record shop apparently waiting for his arrival.

"Steven, we need to talk, man" Leo said, putting a hand to the younger man's shoulder.

"We're here because we're your friends and we love you" Donna told him, making Hyde wonder even more about the presence of Jackie at this particular meeting, "But ever since you quit the Circle, you've changed. I mean, what's this I hear about you eating a vegetable?!" the blonde yelled, apparently in near-hysterics at the very idea of it.

"Look at you, Steven" Jackie said sadly as she hopped down from the counter and waved a hand at him in an emphatic gesture, "Your eyes are clear, your shirt is clean. I hardly recognise you" she said sadly, though Hyde had no chance to answer her, as Leo butted in.

"You have a problem with drugs, man" he told his friend who shook his head in the negative at that.

"I don't have a problem!" he declared, "I can start any time I want!" he told them, but his friends didn't believe that for a second and told him so.

Jackie watched the exchange, unable to ignore the fact that even as he answered Donna and Leo's accusations and so on, Steven's eyes never seemed to leave her for long. As he explained about the freak out he had last time he was in the Circle, she wasn't so sure that was really his problem.

There was more than one thing listed out in her head that Jackie had tried to change after their break up. She thought if she bought new clothes, if she did her hair a different way, maybe if she got a new boyfriend, things would be better, she'd feel better. None of it worked, none of it was ever going to, and it was only today that Jackie had started to realise that was true.

"I know why you freaked out, Steven" she told him, stepping in Donna's path, facing her ex and gaining his full attention, something she'd always been good at, "I'm freaking out too, all the time. Things have changed so much these last few months, with us and... and it's hard" she said, gazing up into eyes that were rarely ever so clear and bright.

Of course it made no difference to Jackie. Without his glasses, Steven Hyde was an open book to this girl. Whenever she looked into his eyes she knew how he felt, she didn't need the words that never came so easily to him.

"See, man, it's not the Circle that's the problem" Leo cut in, though neither of the couple looked his way at all, "It's that your life is in the toilet since you broke up with Loud Girl" he declared, making Donna smile at least.

She wouldn't be at all surprised if the usually spaced-out hippy was in fact entirely on the ball this time around. Hyde wasn't himself since his latest break up with Jackie, and she ought to have noticed, much the same as she should've paid attention to how easily she'd allowed Sam to become part of their lives, pushing Jackie aside. Sometimes it was too easy to be blind about friendship, and worse about love.

"Giving up the Circle felt a lot easier til _you_ started talking" Hyde snapped half-heartedly at Jackie as he pulled himself up onto the counter, pinching the bridge of his nose as if his head ached trying to process what his ex was telling him.

"Steven" she sighed, hopping up beside him and putting an arm around his shoulders, "Doing what you do, _everything_ that you do, good and bad, it makes you the man that you are" she told him, as he glanced her way, "the man that I... the man I fell in love with" she said at last, voice so soft it was lucky they were sitting so close together right now or he never would've heard.

Hyde stared across at her, wondering at her words. After all he'd put her through, he couldn't imagine how or why Jackie still cared about him. She was right, she had fallen in love with him, but that was all in the past. So much had happened since then, so many harsh words and harsher actions. Coming back from where they stood now was as impossible as moving a mountain, surely.

"Jackie, that was a long time ago" he reminded her, sure her feelings must have changed so much since then after the way they'd been treating each other, but he ought to have known better, since his own love for her had never truly died.

"Yeah, it was" she agreed, "but I never stopped loving you" she confirmed, much to Hyde's surprise.

"Aaw" Donna and Leo chorused somewhere in the background, barely heard by the couple sat together on the counter still, with only eyes for each other.

"Jackie, I don't know what to say to you" he admitted, feeling weirdly emotional, uncertain whether it was the effects of going cold turkey from the Circle or just the fact that the nightmare of his life seemed to be turning back into the dream he'd had for a while...

"It's okay, Steven, it's gonna be okay" Jackie told him as she put her arms around him and hugged him tight, "I'm here for you" she promised as he hugged her back, the embrace meaning as much in that moment as any kiss or words of love they might've exchanged before.

"Aaw" Donna smiled, "So, does this mean you guys are back together?" she checked, unable to stop grinning at the very idea of it.

"I guess it does" Steven nodded his agreement, keeping an arm around his girl even as they pulled apart a little and faced their friends.

"Hey, this calls for a celebration, man" Leo declared, holding out a brown bag and a lighter to Hyde who chuckled at the idea.

"Now I got everything I need" he smiled, as he grabbed the items from his friend, then hugged Jackie tight and planted a kiss on her lips.

Life was good.

- The End -


	22. Ep 22, That 70s Finale

**A/N: Here it is, the very last chapter, the very last episode, the very last re-write. Thanx to everyone who has read and reviewed this story.**

**This final 'episode' is dedicated to Hyde's Bride, my faithful reviewer and newest friend :-)**

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Episode 22 - That '70s Finale

"Y'know, Donna, it kinda sucks that you're leaving for college today" Jackie told her friend as they all sat around in the basement on the last day of the seventies, "I mean I kinda wanted to ring in the new year by throwing out all your corduroy boy-pants" she explained, going from good friend to bitch in under five seconds in that way that only Jackie could.

"Well, classes start on Monday and Eric gets back at five" Donna explained, "I just wanna get out of here before all the drama" she shrugged, hoping nobody made a big deal out of it.

"Wait a second" Hyde cut in from his seat beside the couch, "If you're actually going, then who is going to be the recipient of Fez's traditional midnight feel-up?" he asked curiously, pretty sure he already knew the answer but unable to let go of his denial yet, even as Donna explained that with Jackie being Fez's new victim, or girlfriend as some might say, she expected he'd be coming onto her.

Hyde couldn't hear that, didn't want to think about it too much. He burned Jackie for being kind of a slut, moving from Kelso, to him, and now onto Fez, but that was just a way of covering up how much it stung. How she could move on like that, he did not understand, though he knew why she'd want to try. His own behaviour where Sam was concerned had been terrible, he knew that. Perhaps it was seeing Jackie curled up to Fez on the couch like this that had really hammered home to him how much damage he had done. Not only did he now feel the jealous pain that she might have felt when he was with his stripper wife, but also, Steven Hyde had to live with the fact he damaged Jackie so much she thought dating Fez was a good idea!

"Jackie and I haven't even had our first official kiss yet" the foreigner was explaining as Hyde actually started listening again.

"Yeah, it's been a little hard making the transition" Jackie admitted, even looking a little embarrassed about it, which she should.

After all, she and Steven had leapt from apparent enemies to making out within a second. She and Fez couldn't get from best friends to a simple kiss without severe effort on both sides. Something had to be wrong there - she knew it, Fez knew it, and now Hyde realised it too. Even as his friend tried to explain away the problem of it feeling weird to come onto Jackie and not have her protest, Steven's brain was working overtime. Maybe Jackie was feeling just the same as he was, maybe she couldn't get close to Fez because she knew she shouldn't, or maybe he was just getting sentimental about the dim and distant past on this, the last day of the seventies...

* * * * *

"Oh, I love this song" Jackie declared as she moved and sat beside Fez on the couch in the basement.

They were finally alone and it ought to be the perfect time for a perfect first kiss. Jackie knew it was now or never, but as she and Fez started to lean in to each other, something made her laugh out loud. She couldn't help it and she hadn't meant to do it, but this was so insane. This was Fez, the candy-eating, slut-chasing, mush-mouth who, despite being a really good friend of hers, wasn't exactly the Prince Charming she'd dreamt of ending up with. Sure, she was less superficial these days, thanks to Steven's influence, and that of her friends too, but was this really what she wanted, a future with Fez? She laughed at how dumb she was, forcing herself to make this work, a sort of delirious chuckle at how pathetic she had become, getting it together with the very first guy that looked her way since Steven.

"This is ridiculous!" Fez declared as they both pulled away, both feeling stupid in their own ways.

"I know" said Jackie after a moment, serious now as she felt bad for ruining another would-be-perfect moment, "This really shouldn't be so hard" she shook her head, "When I was with Steven..."

"No!" Fez interrupted loudly, "You don't tell your boyfriend about kissing your old boyfriend, that is wrong!" he declared, as if it was the most heinous crime ever, "You wouldn't tell a candy bar that it was much easier to eat a different kind of candy bar, would you?"

"Fez, that doesn't even make any sense" Jackie told him, as he sat there with his arms folded looking a little mad at her, "I just... this feels strange. I haven't been really close to someone like this since Steven and everywhere we try to do this I have all these memories" she sighed, "I'm sorry, I can't help it, I just..."

"You just what, Jackie?" he challenged her, "You just wish I, Fez, was in fact Hyde, because _then_ you would want to kiss me?"

"Yes!" came her overly loud answer, without her brain even registering the words before they fell from her lips, "Yes, because I still love Steven!" she declared, her hand covering her mouth a moment later when she realised what she'd said, "Oh my God" she muttered behind her fingers, staring across at Fez with wide eyes.

To his credit, the foreign guy didn't cry or complain. In fact after a few moments a smile cret onto his lips, albeit a sad effort at one.

"I wondered if that was the problem" he sighed, turning sideways on the couch and taking hold of her hands in his, "Jackie, oh sweet princess Jackie, I do love you" he said honestly, "and I think, as a friend, you love me too, but you also love Hyde, in the other, sexier kind of way that Fez can only dream of" he said sadly, making tears come to Jacke's eyes as she sat staring across at him, "It should be Jackie and Hyde together, and Fez... well, Fez can make his own fun if he has too" he shrugged, making Jackie wonder why she'd let him hold her hands like this as a thought occurred to her.

Still, what he'd said was true enough and sweet as anything. She did still love Steven Hyde, and she had been a fool to pretend otherwise. Being with Fez had seemed like an easy option, a way to have a boyfriend with little or no effort, a chance for a simple life, but not a truly happy one. There was a distinct difference between friends and lovers, and whilst Hyde had always been a little of both to her, Fez never could be.

"Thank you, Fez" she said, as a tear escaped from one eye, and she leaned in to kiss her best friend's cheek, "Thank you for understanding"

"I'm an understanding guy" he shrugged, forcing a smile for her sake, "Now, go get your man before midnight comes and we all turn into cantaloupes" he urged her as she got to her feet and made to leave the basement.

"Er, Fez" she said, turning back at the foot of the stairs, "Don't you mean pumpkins?" she checked, sure he meant for Cinderella to be his analogy.

"Like there's really a difference" he snorted with laughter at her comment, clearly believing what he said to be true, and Jackie had far more important things to worry about than standing here arguing about fruit with him!

* * * * *

Steven was talking to Donna when Jackie joined the Formans party. With just a couple of hours left before midnight, she was determined to figure things out with him before the end of the decade that had brought them together. Unfortunately, Mrs Forman was already getting drunk and emotional, making some kind of speech about how much she loved each and every person present.

"I am just, I am just so happy we're staying because I would miss you so" she rambled on, as Jackie barely heard her, concentrating only on Steven, thinking about how much she had missed him these past months, "Like Fez, the way you and I have tea and make fun of male ice-skaters" Kitty went on, before suddenly catching the little brunette's attention, "And Jackie, you're such a doll. I don't even mind your back-handed compliments" she smiled.

"Oh, Mrs Forman" Jackie smiled right back as she gave the older woman a hug, "You're my favourite old lady!" she declared, the emotions of the day catching up with her too.

Perhaps that was all it was, just emotions playing tricks on her on this, the final day of the seventies. Then Jackie took one look at Steven Hyde and knew that wasn't true. She loved him, always had and always would, and she couldn't go on this way, pretending she didn't. She had to tell him the truth before it was too late. So much was changing, even the decade, and they'd already wasted too much time acting like kids, burning each other and fighting when they should have been behaving like adults fixing this mess that their one-time relationship had become.

As Donna ran out and Kelso ran in, distracting everyone as he yelled about his bottle rocket or something equally as dumb, Jackie took this opportunity to escape with the man she must speak to at all costs.

"Steven" she caught his attention, her hand on his arm startling him slightly, "I need to talk to you" she said, looking serious as he had ever seen her.

Hyde checked his watch and looked around the pseudo family he knew he ought to be with in less than ten minutes time when midnight chimed and the eighties began.

"Can it wait?" he asked, but Jackie shook her head, almost scaring him with the severity of her looks.

"No" she said definitely, "not anymore" she told him, encouraging him to put down his beer and follow her down to the empty basement, the place where their relationship had begun and ended several times over.

That fact wasn't lost on either of them as they sat down together on the couch, her looking serious still, him just a little bemused about what the hell was going on.

"What's this all about, Jackie?" he asked with a frown, "Shouldn't you be with Fez?" he gestured upstairs, "It's only a few minutes to midnight?"

"Fez and I broke up" she admitted, ready for any barb or nasty comment he threw her way, but none came.

She ought to have known better of course. Steven was always different when they were alone, didn't burn or hurt her when there was no audience to look big and clever for, but the same could be said about her. That was just one more thing they'd always had in common.

"Jackie..." he began, seemingly about to say something nice or comforting, but Jackie neither wanted nor needed that.

"It's fine" she said with a shake of her head, "We both know we don't belong together, I just... I needed someone and I thought Fez was him" she explained, finally meeting his eyes, albeit through the tinted glasses he always wore, "but he's not the one, Steven, because all I really need and want... is you" she admitted at last, apparently shocking him to silence - that didn't happen often.

Shifting in his seat, he stared forward at nothing a moment, before he finally spoke.

"Huh" was the only sound he made.

He had meant to say more, of course he had, but honestly, Steven Hyde did not know where to begin.

"Huh?" Jackie echoed, "That's it? That's all you have to say?!" she asked, voice rising with an apparent mixture of disbelief and disappointment.

"Yes... No" Hyde changed his mind immediately, feeling a little overwhelmed by this whole thing, as he removed his glasses and tossed them onto the table.

Running a hand over his face, he tried to make sense of this. Since Sam showed up that day declaring she was his wife, that was it for Hyde. He had told himself there and then he had lost Jackie forever and believed that as definitely as he'd ever believed in anything. That fact certain in his mind, he'd attempted to make things work with Sam, and when that relationship went under, made his peace with the fact he was to be single again whilst Jackie moved on and found happiness with another man, even if that guy had to be Fez. He didn't like it, in fact he hated it, but there was nothing he could do, or so he thought. Now, Jackie was telling him he was all she ever wanted and that just messed with his head. Getting back together with her, if that was what she was suggesting, that was like getting back on a rollercoatser that would be thrilling for a while, but eventually lead to badness.

"Jackie" he sighed as he finally turned to face her, "I don't... I don't know what to say, man" he shook his head, "I mean, all that stuff with you wanting to get married and nagging me all the time, that wasn't cool, and I know running away and marrying a stripper makes me a jerk, I know that, but... look at what we did to each other, doll" he reminded her sadly, "It ain't pretty"

"I know that" she agreed, "but, Steven, look at the good we did for each other" she urged him, determined to make him see what she had so recently realised, that all the badness was worth it just to be together, "Without you, I never would've learnt that not everything is about looks and clothes and money" she told him, "Without you, I never would've got through my Dad going to prison or my Mom dating Bob" she shuddered still at the thought and that made Hyde smirk a moment, "Steven without you, I never would've known what it was like to be in a real adult relationship" she said, hand literally on heart by now, "or what it was like to really make love with another person"

"Me either" replied Steven, caught up in the moment and the intense look in her eyes so much he was hardly aware of what he's said til it was done, "but Jackie, we can't just jump back into this, man" he shook his head to both break the moment and clear his head some, "We can't just start making out and hope it works, because it never does" he said as he got up from the couch and turned his back on her, perhaps just to ensure he didn't fall into the easy trap here, so he didn't just start kissing her and forget what day of the week it was, "We want different stuff, Jackie, we always do" he reminded her as he turned to look down on her, "then we end up fighting all the time, and where's the fun in that?"

"Then we try harder" she said with determination only Jackie could have as she too got to her feet and stood before him with indignation in her eyes, "Steven, I'm telling you I want to be with you, that I love you" she said staring up into his eyes, "Okay, it's going to be tough, we're going to have to try hard to be faithful, and understanding, and everything, but don't you think it's worth it?" she asked desperately, praying he saw things the way she did, sure he did but was just too afraid to admit it, "Don't you think a little rough patch here or there is worth the good times we can have?" she said, before they both glanced towards the stairs, hearing the countdown to midnight begin.

_Ten._

"I don't know what to say, Jackie" Hyde looked truly confused as she stared up at him still.

_Nine._

"Do you love me?" she asked him, knowing as she did now that it was all that mattered for them to be together - they could work through everything else.

_Eight._

"You know I do" he said softly, hardly recognising his own voice but sure of the words he said, as he put a hand to her face.

_Seven._

"Then tell me" she urged him, leaning into his touch.

_Six._

"I love you, Jackie" he told her, feeling a little less weird about saying it this time then before, "Always did, always will"

_Five._

"And I love you, Steven" she said right back, a smile curving her lips, "I think that's worth fighting for" she told him, stepping in as close to him as she could get.

_Four._

"You sure?" he checked, wanting to believe they could make it work this time but secretly so scared of hurting both of them all over again.

_Three._

"I'm sure" Jackie nodded, "How about you?" she practically whispered as their arms went around each other.

_Two._

"Yeah, me too" he smiled, as they leaned in to each other.

_One._

On the stroke of midnight their lips met and both Jackie and Hyde faced a new decade, sure that no matter what else happened in the eighties, they would always have each other.

~The End~


End file.
